Clash With the Vendice
by cywsaphyre
Summary: 2nd in the Finding Family series. As the threat of the Vendice draws closer, Tsuna and his new Family must prepare themselves for war. Even as he struggles to protect everyone, Tsuna must prove stronger than the danger threatening to overwhelm him.
1. Decisions Made

**Disclaimer: I do not own any KHR characters…**

**First, there are a number of things that I have to make clear:**

**I probably won't put the ten-year bazooka into this story unless I can manage to fit it in so the Future Arc in the anime doesn't exist in my fanfic.**

**I HAVE NOT read the manga for KHR so I wouldn't know how to add in characters that have not shown up in the anime yet. I might include the Shimon Family sometime in the future but I'm still considering it since I don't really know how to portray them.**

**I cannot write romance. Repeat cannot. I've never tried and I don't think I'll be very good at it so I'll continue this fic as a family-based story and continue to strengthen the bonds between Tsuna and his Family.**

**Lastly, once again, this story will concentrate on the connection between the Vendice and the Arcobaleno as the main 'problem'. I'll throw in bits of Tsuna's past but it won't be revealed in this fic.**

**So, here's the sequel that everyone's been waiting for. Sorry for the long wait but the first chapter sort of turned out longer than I expected it to and it's just to get things going.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1 – Decisions Made**

**MAIN OFFICE OF VENDICARE PRISON / EIGHT YEARS AGO**

"Do you have them?"

"All seven, Boss," A pause. "The Giglio Nero woman came willingly. The rest we had to drug."

"You managed to drug him?" The closest thing to amusement that would ever be heard within the bleak walls of the prison slithered from the monotone voice. "Not so strong then, is he?"

"Again, the Sky boss helped. He seemed to trust her explicitly."

A long, contemplative silence took place before the figure staring out at the dreary silence gave a semblance of a nod.

"Very well, take them down. Do not start until they have all woken up. Make sure to… explain it to them. Whether or not they understand and accept, well, it matters not."

"Hai."

**CELL IN VENDICARE PRISON**

"Reborn," A soft voice called out. "Are you awake?"

Lethal stillness. And then, "You tricked me."

The voice was impassive, not even a hint of emotion slipping past the impregnable, icy exterior.

"I had to, Reborn." The voice pleaded quietly. "This is for the best."

"That damn stuntman's still a kid. He should have had a choice. We all should have had a choice."

"_I_ had no choice, Reborn. Please understand."

"Everyone has a choice, Luche." The bitterness that had been held back so far finally crept into the dark velvety voice. "You just took it away from us."

Their stilted conversation was broken by a distant scream, half hysterical and full of agony. Silence descended again, and the boss of the Giglio Nero Family stirred once again.

"Reborn," Once again, the voice was soft and imploring. "I know you're angry, but they would have killed me."

"Then you should have asked for help! In the worst case scenario, you should have died! And you call yourself a Sky boss?" Reborn spat out, onyx eyes raging.

"If they killed me, my daughter would have had to take my place!" Luche cried, her voice echoing around the chamber they were in.

When Reborn stayed silent this time, Luche continued, her voice lowered once again. "My daughter means the world to me, Reborn."

"Perhaps the world, Luche," The hitman's stare penetrated sapphire blue eyes. "But is it worth seven individuals' lives as well as your Family's? Your Family, Luche. The Family that would _give up_ the world to ensure you and Aria's survival."

Ocean gaze flickered away, sorrow filling their depths. "It is not just for my daughter, Reborn. I believe this course of action to be the best for everyone's future."

"And who are you to decide that?"

Luche's gaze drifted back up as Reborn continued on relentlessly.

"Who are you to decide the fate of people? You're a boss, Luche, not a god. You have no right."

"What's done is done, Reborn," Defiantly, the Sky boss stared back. "It can't be undone anymore."

A quirk of humorless lips appeared as the sound of their cell door sliding open filtered into their ears. "That's about the only thing you've been right about, Luche."

"You are awake. As expected of the greatest hitman in the Mafia world."

The Vendice soldier that entered the cell stared blankly at them. "Boss wishes the process to be explained."

Reborn snorted and, if his hands hadn't been chained to the cold wall behind him, he would've reached up to tug his favorite fedora down which, now that he thought about it, was no longer on his head.

The Vendice soldier moved forward, arm extending towards the other, still unconscious, prisoners. Reborn's eyes widened imperceptibly as he noticed what their captor held and almost snarled when the taser touched the stuntman bound next to him.

Skull's whole body jerked and convulsed and amethyst eyes flew open as a pain-filled scream was ripped from his throat. Reborn let out a string of brutal curses as he could only watch helplessly from his place.

But the soldier barely spared the stuntman a glance before moving on to wake up the other captives. Each one woke up with a start, Lal Mirch letting out a pained cry while Viper's uncloaked face twisted into a grimace as he realized his situation. Fong only gritted his teeth and endured the electric current coursing through his muscles as Verde's face paled but stayed calm.

"Very good," The Vendice soldier intoned. "You have all woken up accordingly."

Reborn had to bite back an uncharacteristic 'no duh' as he turned a stony stare on their captor.

"You have all been chosen," The soldier continued. "To become the sacrifices needed to protect the Tri-Ni-Set, the ultimate power that is stored within seven pacifiers. It is your duty to become the Arcobaleno and become the Vendice's… vessels."

"And you think we'll just accept this?" Lal Mirch's voice cut through the prison cell, loud and angry.

"You have no choice," The soldier replied. "Each generation, seven are chosen to serve the Vendice. You are all bound by Vendicare's law to serve us. You cannot break the law."

"Screw your damn law!" The bluenette barked, body straining against her bonds. "We would never obey something like that!"

The Vendice soldier made a slight motion that could have been a shrug. "You have no choice. In the Mafia world, the Vendice are needed to maintain order. For us to be able to do so, seven vessels are needed to bear the weight of our responsibility."

Reborn's features darkened and his gaze slid over to the Sky Guardian who had, so far, been completely silent.

_Did you know about this? _ Reborn wondered.

Luche didn't seem all that perturbed for someone who had just witnessed her friends being electrocuted, and the black-haired hitman wondered grimly why he had fallen so completely for this boss' charms. His jaw clenched. He had forgotten the most important rule of a Mafioso:

Never trust anybody because everybody is an enemy.

"Now, you will all come with me."

Another device appeared in the soldier's hand and the stone wall that they were bound to suddenly started to move forward, shifting out of the former cell with a slow, ugly, grinding sound. A minute later, the seven of them found themselves in a different room, a large gun-like device in the center.

Reborn glanced surreptitiously at Verde further down the wall and caught a flash of anxiety in the scientist's eyes, quickly shadowed again by the gleam of his glasses. So the crazy genius at least had some semblance of an idea as to what the machine in front of them was, which, Reborn was loath to admit, was better than what he could come up with. He had absolutely no idea what the device would do to them. Almost unconsciously, he flexed his arms, trying to figure out a way to break the chains' hold on his wrists.

"They won't come off no matter how much you pull at them, Reborn."

Onyx eyes narrowed and the hitman continued to tug at the chains, if only to show Luche that there was no way in any heaven or hell that he would listen to her again.

"The Sky boss is correct, hitman."

Reborn pinned the soldier with a dark, icy glare but the cloaked figure didn't even flinch.

"Well," Viper, from Reborn's left, cut in with his usual drawl. "What does this piece of junk do?"

The soldier only turned his back on them, monotone voice drifting to their ears as he started the machine. "You'll know soon enough."

At first, nothing visible happened. Viper's voice, derisive as ever, floated its way to Reborn's ears.

"Maybe it's broken. Wonder if this idiot will let us all go home if it is."

Reborn's lips thinned. He knew the other six in the room well enough to decipher whatever they said. Viper's ironic bravado, a mere front to disguise any fear, was almost palpable as the words hung in the air like wet laundry.

A low humming sound jolted Reborn out of his thoughts and he watched pensively as seven points of light began to grow from the tip of the gun. An almost soundless whimper slipped out of the stuntman chained next to him. Without hesitation, the raven-haired hitman shifted to the side as much as he could so that at least half of Skull was shielded from the rays. Just in time too as the gun fired off seven beams straight towards them. Just before they hit, Reborn's sharp eyes caught a flash of blond hair rushing towards the soldier and flooring him with one blow before sweeping past him, ocean-blue eyes glinting with determination.

As light flooded the chamber, Reborn gritted his teeth against the agony tearing through his whole body. He could feel his muscles twist and convulse, as if changing shape. Distant cries of pain all around him told his fading awareness that they were all feeling the same thing.

A moment before he descended into darkness, the strongest hitman only had two thoughts in his mind:

One, if he ever got his hands on the blond lovesick idiot, Reborn would shoot him to death.

And two, there was no way his life would stay the same after this.

And then, almost gratefully, he let himself sink into the comforting hands of unconsciousness.

**VARIA MANSION / TSUNA'S OFFICE / PRESENT TIME**

"Reborn?"

Unreadable onyx eyes blinked open as the fedora-wearing hitman's gaze calmly swept the room before focusing on his charge.

"What is it?"

Tsuna studied his tutor for a split second longer before shrugging, a small smile appearing on his face. "Don't you think you've slept long enough? It's almost lunch."

As the brunette turned and headed back to his desk again, Reborn's eyes followed the figure, half thoughtful, half suspicious. His student always seemed to have a knack for being able to wake him up whenever his dreams took a turn for the worse, but Tsuna had yet to admit to knowing anything, only claiming that he woke the hitman up because he thought Reborn had 'slept too long'. This time was no different.

Rising to his feet, he jumped onto the brunette's desk from his perch in the hammock attached to the ceiling. Peering down at his student's work, the arcobaleno frowned.

"Tsuna, what exactly are you working on?"

Tsuna looked torn between defiance and guilt. With a sigh, he turned the papers around, surreptitiously shuffling the top sheet under everything else before showing them to the gun-wielding hitman. "I've been talking to Xanxus-nii and we both agreed that getting as much support as we can from other Families would be best right now. You know some Families are drawing away from Vongola because of the rift between us and the Vendice. They're all afraid of getting caught in the crossfire and I don't blame them. But we thought that we should try to talk to the heads of some of those Families and convince them to stick with us instead of turning to Millefiore for protection."

Reborn nodded, features dangerously pleasant. "That sounds like an excellent plan. It's what any boss would do in this situation. But," Tsuna winced as Reborn pulled out the very sheet Tsuna had hastily tried to hide, gaze growing darker by the second as he gave the sheet a through read. "What kind of a boss agrees to a meeting with the very people who are trying to kill him? Alone?"

The teen shrugged, features taking on a sheepish expression. "I'm just meeting with the Lightning Guardian of the Vendice, Reborn."

The hitman glared, gesturing to the piece of paper in his hand. "Clarify something for me, Tsuna. _Lightning Guardian of the Vendice._ Exactly which part of that promises you your safety?"

Tsuna met the baby hitman's gaze levelly, not giving an inch. "I've met Rui-san before," He defended. "He seemed okay then. Besides, he says that he'll come alone as well."

Reborn had a hard time processing anything the brunette had just said. "Dame-Tsuna! Stop being so trusting all the time! Just because he says he'll come alone doesn't mean he will. And how did he 'seem okay' to you before? He was trying to kill you!"

"He didn't in the end!" Tsuna protested. "And he got punished for it!"

"You don't know that," Reborn pointed out. "That was what Naoto assumed since Rui disobeyed orders. And he assumed that too."

Tsuna frowned. "I doubt the Vendice would ever willingly release one of their prisoners, much less condone the act done by one of their top members. Besides," He argued. "This meeting could be a huge advantage for us, not to mention I do owe him one for not killing me last time. I should at least go and hear him out."

The sun arcobaleno let the piece of paper flutter back onto the desk.

"Does the Ninth know about this?" He asked, features neutral. "Xanxus? Anyone?"

Tsuna's gaze lowered to the note Rui had somehow smuggled on to Varia grounds. He had found it pinned under a rock while walking in the forest near the edge of the estate and, if not for his keen eyesight, would have missed it entirely.

"No," The brunette responded evenly. "I didn't want them to worry."

Reborn released a sigh. "You're not even a real boss yet."

Grabbing his fedora from his student's desk, the hitman stared squarely back into chocolate eyes. "Fine, I'll agree with this," He paused, smugly registering the surprise that dawned on the teen's face. "Under two conditions."

Tsuna hesitated briefly before nodding slowly. "Okay. What are the conditions?"

"One," The arcobaleno crossed his arms. "You'll tell your Family about this." Onyx eyes glared when Tsuna tried to protest. "Their job is to protect you Tsuna. I'm not saying you have to tell them every little detail of what you're doing every day, but they _should _know when you do something like this."

Reborn waited patiently until the brunette nodded. "Good. The second condition is much simpler." He stared calmly ahead. "I'll be coming with you." He stood, waiting for the protests. He wasn't disappointed.

"But Reborn," Tsuna sat up straight, frown marring his features. "Rui-san said to come alone."

"Don't care." The hitman replied bluntly. "You have a responsibility now, Tsuna. Like it or not, you're the heir to Vongola. The Ninth picked you as the next boss so if you go and get yourself killed by an enemy, who's going to be the successor? I'm coming. That's final."

Tsuna stilled before tilting his head forward and letting his bangs cover his expression. A few seconds later, the future Vongola boss raised his head again, smile plastered on his face. "Okay, Reborn. The meeting is in three days. We can both go meet him then."

The baby hitman was instantly on his guard, onyx eyes narrowing. He had seen this expression before, but not recently. He hadn't for a long time. It was the same expression the brunette had often worn when Reborn had first met him, an empty robotic stretch of the lips that had nothing to do with human emotions. It was simply a movement and Reborn absolutely hated it.

Tsuna tilted his head, feeling a familiar wave of empty calmness wash over him. He knew what Reborn was thinking of but he really had no control over it.

**FLASHBACK**

Reborn glanced sharply at his new charge sitting silently beside him.

"What are you doing?" He asked roughly.

The boy turned to face him. "Colonello-san made a joke."

The hitman's jaw tightened as he continued to observe the fixed features of the brunette. It couldn't really even be called a forced smile.

Tsuna continued to stare blankly at the tiny person in front of him. "This is the correct expression to assume when something is funny."

Colonello and Lal Mirch, as Tsuna had been told, only looked at him with twin expressions of disbelief. On the other hand, Reborn's wine glass shattered in the hitman's grip and familiar raging eyes turned on him. So, Tsuna rearranged his features into something more appropriate; he dropped his smile and stared blankly back at his new owner.

Reborn glared at the boy in front of him before shaking the glass out of his hand. Jumping down from his perch on the sofa, he headed for the door.

"Just stay with Colonello and Lal!" He barked coldly over his shoulder when the arcobaleno felt his charge stand up. An obedient "hai" followed him as he stormed out of the room and down the hallway.

The next day, 80 new recruits had fled the training complex, terrified of another 'training session' with the number one hitman.

**FLASHBACK END**

Now, seeing that same smile on the teen's face, the sun arcobaleno was not reassured in the slightest by Tsuna's agreement to his terms. If he was completely honest with himself, his student's reaction absolutely terrified him, especially after witnessing the brunette's admission to Mammon on the plane only a week ago. But even as his mind raced to find a solution to this snowballing situation, the mask on Tsuna's face lifted, melting into a genuine, albeit small, smile.

"I know you're just worried about me, Reborn." The smile warmed and the panic that had clenched like a vice around the hitman's heart eased its grip somewhat. "I'll tell everyone tonight at dinner, okay?"

Reborn watched the teen carefully before nodding. "Alright," He replied, jumping off the desk in the process. "Let's go get some lunch then."

_While I figure out a way to lock that woman up again for good._

**VARIA MANSION / TSUNA'S OFFICE / THREE HOURS LATER**

Tsuna looked up as his office door burst open and the boss of Varia strode in, scowl in place.

"Brat! What's with the official summons?" Xanxus barked, waving a piece of paper in the air. "You could've just talked to me at lunch!"

Tsuna smiled, half sheepish, though his eyes conveyed a solemnity that instantly brought a heavier frown onto the crimson-eyed boss. Without another word, Xanxus abruptly closed and locked the door behind him before striding forward and dropping into the chair opposite the brunette with all the grace of a giant cat. Arching a questioning eyebrow, the Varia boss stared straight back into serious brown eyes.

With a satisfied nod, Tsuna pulled out another few sheets of paper, neatly stacked together.

"I'd like you to sign this, Xanxus." He said, pushing the document across the desk.

Red eyes immediately narrowed as Xanxus caught the dropped suffix from his name. Almost pensively, he picked up the document and started reading. He had been taught long ago not to sign anything he hadn't gone through himself.

Across from him, Tsuna sat back, calmly waiting for the outburst he knew would come.

"_What the fuck?"_

Xanxus slapped the papers back on to the desk before rising to tower over the future Vongola boss.

"Is this a joke?" He spat out, crimson eyes glaring. "Or are you just really stupid?"

The teen sighed before standing up as well and moving over to stand by one of the windows overlooking the Varia estate.

"Reborn said something earlier." He stated, gaze following the raindrops trailing down the windowpane. "And I suddenly realized that, if something were to happen to me, nobody would be left to be the heir."

Brown eyes flashing the color of sky flames finally turned back to meet piercing crimson red.

"So you thought I'd be perfect for the job," Xanxus snapped back half-heartedly, unconsciously letting a slight note of bitterness into his voice. "The man who almost killed you."

Tsuna blinked, genuinely startled. "You're still thinking about that? I already told you I didn't blame you."

Xanxus snorted. "You think anyone else thinks like you?" He snarled. "The old man would never approve."

Tsuna shrugged. "Then it's a good thing this is my decision. The Ninth doesn't have a say in it. I looked it up."

When only silence followed, the brunette moved back across the room to stand in front of the Varia boss, peering earnestly up at him.

"I think you would be good at it, Xanxus. Being boss, I mean."

Tired red eyes stared back. "Why?"

The teen smiled. "Because you care." He replied simply. "And because you're strong enough to protect those that you care about."

Turning his gaze back to the sheets scattered on the desk, Xanxus released an imperceptible sigh. Glancing at the short teen, brown eyes gentle with sincere conviction at what he had said, the Varia boss wondered how anyone could possess so much trust and hand it out just as easily.

_Do you even know how much your words mean to me?_

With another short sigh, the man reached out and picked up the papers again, shuffling them back together. Continuing to read, one line stood out more than the others, and did not cease to perturb him by the time he had finished reading.

Turning swiftly back to the brunette, Xanxus quickly pointed out the line.

"Take it out," He barked. "What the hell do you mean by this?"

Tsuna lowered his gaze to the line, unsurprised. He hadn't really expected Xanxus to take it lying down. But, he scanned the words, it made sense.

_In any situation where the Vongola heir is endangered by figures explicitly from his past, you are required to take over the heir position immediately without investigation, instigation, and/or confrontation of said figures._

"You just said so yourself, right?"

Tsuna's head jerked up as Xanxus' voice cut through his thoughts. The man was glaring down at him with the fury of a thunderstorm.

"That I'm strong enough to protect the ones I fucking care about." He clarified. "You're not going anywhere brat, so those damn 'figures' can just go to hell."

Tsuna's features softened into a smile and he nodded, quickly pulling out a second document from a drawer and handing it to the other.

Xanxus snorted after rereading and not finding the condition. Pulling out a pen, he signed the contract with only the slightest hesitation before handing the document back.

With a curt nod, the Varia boss turned and headed for the door, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach at Tsuna's grateful but almost melancholic "thank you". As he closed the door behind him, Xanxus caught a whispered remark that he was sure the brunette hadn't meant for him to hear. A remark that almost sent him tearing back into the office to knock some sense into the future boss.

_"I might be the one exception to those you can protect, Xanxus-nii."_

Stalking down one hallway, he turned a corner and instantly met onyx eyes.

Without thinking, the crimson-eyed boss lashed out, snarling, "Your idea, baby? To make me the next heir if that idiot back there decides to go on a suicidal mission or something?"

Reborn didn't even blink. "Of course not. Tsuna decided to make you the next heir if anything happened to him years ago, right after the Ninth made him his heir. Tsuna was going to do it after he became boss but I guess he changed his mind."

Reborn observed the still figure in front of him, wondering if the man had gone into shock. "I don't know why you're so surprised," He commented, jumping down from his perch and heading off in another direction.

Xanxus just sneered, looking away from the sun arcobaleno. For a moment, the Varia boss was tempted to tell the baby hitman that Tsuna didn't believe anyone could protect from his past, not even his own tutor, but changed his mind almost instantly.

Without a word, he turned and walked away. He wasn't an idiot and he didn't need to be a genius to realize that this fact, if known to Reborn, would crush the greatest hitman in the world like nothing else could.

**Dinner Time**

"I'm going to be meeting with the Vendice Lightning Guardian three days from now."

There were instant protests from all around the table, voices rising into a jumbled racket.

"Shut up!"

From one end of the table, Xanxus glared warningly at them, waiting for the din to fall before turning his glowering stare onto the brunette across from him.

"Explain." He growled.

Tsuna sighed before describing the note that Rui had delivered to him. "I thought it would be a good idea to hear what he had to say," The brunette concluded. "Since he did say some strange things the last time we met."

A long silence followed his explanation as wide eyes stared back at the future Vongola boss.

"I'll have Reborn with me." Tsuna added hopefully.

"I'm coming too, Jyuudaime!" Gokudera's eyes flashed as his mind cast back to their fight with the Lightning Guardian. He glared to the side as Yamamoto and Ryohei added their voices into the conversation.

"Me too, Tsuna," The swordsman was still smiling but his voice held no trace of laughter. "It could be a trap."

Beside him, Ryohei nodded determinedly, fists half-raised.

The brunette nodded. "I know, but what if it isn't? What if, after this meeting, he agrees to be an ally? Even if he just doesn't want a part this fight, that's still one less Guardian opposing us. That would be a great advantage for the Vongola, and I don't want to pass over a chance like that by bringing too many people with me."

"But you do need protection, brat," Viper pointed out, frowning. "And Reborn's useless in this situation." The small illusionist ignored the chilly stare sent his way from under a fedora. "He's arcobaleno."

Tsuna started before glancing at his tutor beside him. He had forgotten.

"I'll go."

Tsuna turned to blink owlishly at his Cloud Guardian, surprised. "Hibari-san?" He questioned.

Silver eyes met his and the adamant steel in them barred any and all arguments.

With a sigh, Tsuna nodded. "Okay then. I'll take Reborn and Hibari-san with me. That should be enough."

Gokudera scowled fiercely and opened his mouth to protest but Yamamoto quickly cut in with an encouraging comment that had Gokudera seething and reaching for a bomb.

"Boss?"

The teen turned away from the familiar scene in front of him to focus on his only female Guardian. "I'll be fine, Chrome-chan." Tsuna assured, smiling. "And if I really do get into a fight, I can always call for backup, right?"

The frown on Chrome's face eased a little as she nodded.

Satisfied, the brunette's gaze slid to the side to meet mismatched eyes. After a moment, the male illusionist only smirked back at him before continuing his dinner. Tsuna relaxed at this, knowing he had Mukuro's support in this plan.

As he too went back to his food and ignoring the bombs and blades all around him, as well as the heated glare being directed at him from across the table, the teen's thoughts turned to what Viper had said only minutes ago.

_"And Reborn's useless in this situation. He's arcobaleno."_

What did being arcobaleno have to do with the Vendice?

**Finished!**

**Sorry it took so long; it turned out longer than I had planned.**


	2. Visiting a Secret

**Disclaimer: I do not own any KHR characters…**

**I'm not sure whether I'll up the rating, but if I do, it'll most likely be because of the violence.**

**I also edited the first chapter so I'm pretty sure all the mistakes are fixed.**

**Here's the second chapter!**

**Chapter 2 – Visiting a Secret**

**CELL IN VENDICARE PRISON / EIGHT YEARS AGO**

"Reborn! Reborn!"

As consciousness slowly filtered back into him, onyx eyes blinked open to focus on the blurred face of a much smaller Luche. One small hand was brushing through his hair and, without hesitation, his own hand came up to push her away.

"Don't touch me." The hitman rasped out, eyes widening when his voice, instead of the deeper tone he was used to, came out as a babyish croak.

Pushing the green-haired Sky boss away, he managed to force himself into a sitting position, gritting his teeth as his limbs shook with the effort. Lifting his gaze to take in his surroundings, the hitman found six other miniature figures scattered around the gloomy damp cell and, of those, only Verde was awake, sitting up but leaning heavily against a wall.

As their eyes met, Reborn noticed none of the usual hostility that the scientist normally held for him; instead, weary resignation stared back at him, expression bordering on helplessness.

Reborn frowned before turning back the Sky Guardian still hovering over him. "What's going on?" He snapped as harshly as he could.

Luche pulled back a bit, knowing gaze sweeping them all. "We have become the vessels that carry the Vendice's burden," She explained quietly, one hand extending to show him an orange… was that a pacifier?

Reborn looked down and his eyes widened as he realized a similar pacifier hung around his neck, the only difference being the color; his was bright yellow, swirling with sun flames. Glancing back at Verde, Reborn noticed a green pacifier around the scientist's neck.

"We will be in this form forever?" The hitman asked quietly, a sliver of steel entering his childish voice. "What if we were to break these pacifiers?"

"You will die." Luche replied simply before rising to her feet. "These pacifiers are the source of power for the Vendice but they are now also linked to our lives. Without them, we would not be able to live. But in return, we gain more power. The power of arcobaleno."

_Arcobaleno…_

Reborn's eyes narrowed before he rose unsteadily to his feet as well, finally realizing that his fedora was back on his head. "We can leave?" He said roughly, gaze lingering on the open cell door.

Luche nodded quickly. "Of course. We are not prisoners as long as we bear this curse."

Reborn scowled before moving across the cell to an unconscious blond. Nudging the miniature body with one foot, he snapped, "Get up, you fool, before I decide that killing you would be to my advantage."

Colonello stirred and groaned, blue eyes blinking open blearily. He stared around him before focusing on the hitman glaring down at him. After a confused moment, a wavering grin split his face. "Hey Reborn, I always knew you had a baby face under that prickly exterior." He didn't have the chance to say anything else before he was kicked into the air and into a wall.

Reborn snorted in disgust before turning and grabbing a comatose Skull by the back of his jumpsuit as well as an unconscious Viper and heading for the door. "Get Lal, you lovesick idiot. We're leaving." Turning to Verde, he barked, "Don't just sit there! Get Fong. Hurry up."

Not waiting to see if the other two obeyed, he quickly dragged his two colleagues out of the cell and towards the almost eye-watering sunlight at the end of a long hallway. Emerging from the famed Mafia prison, Reborn lowered his head against the glaring sun and, gritting his teeth, continued to drag his load away from the cursed castle looming over him. Labored breathing and two sets of scuffling feet told him that the other two had followed his orders.

"Reborn, wait!"

The fedora-wearing hitman didn't bother turning around, choosing instead to continue in the direction he had decided on.

"Reborn, do you even know where you are going? We should head in this direction."

Reborn's face twisted into a snarl but before he could retort, an almost monotone drawl cut in, forceful save for the exhaustion that shaped it.

"Shut up woman. Get it through that pretty head of yours that Reborn doesn't want to hear you talk any more than necessary. And that goes for the rest of us as well."

Reborn blinked before letting go of the psychic he had been dragging, unceremoniously dropping the cloaked figure to the ground. "If you're awake, tell me sooner." He growled gruffly. "You look like an idiot having to be carried."

Viper shakily picked himself off the ground, glaring at the other hitman from under his cloak as he dusted himself off. "I wasn't being carried; you were dragging me!" He snapped. "And I just woke up!"

Reborn ignored him and, still holding onto the youngest of their group, set off once more in his chosen direction. With a muttered curse of irritation, the psychic glided after him with only the slightest of wavers as he floated into the air. Behind them, Verde and Colonello exchanged a glance before heading after the newly-appointed sun arcobaleno, neither of them acknowledging the Sky Guardian's words.

With a sorrowful sigh, Luche turned and followed as well, the beginnings of uncertainty entering her mind now that her leadership of this group had disappeared. It was clear that even Verde would follow Reborn now. Because of her decision, these people would never listen to her again.

**VARIA MANSION / TSUNA'S OFFICE / PRESENT TIME**

Reborn stirred from his position by the windowsill, a surge of irritation bubbling up inside him as he impatiently pushed back the age-old memories creeping up on him. They had been coming to him more often and a stirring of uneasiness twisted his stomach. Something was going to happen, and soon.

Jumping down from his perch, he frowned at his student's empty desk before heading for the door. He hadn't seen Tsuna since breakfast and it was long past lunchtime now. Maybe his Guardians had dragged him off somewhere.

**OUTSIDE OF FLORENCE, ITALY / FOREST OF ARSIA / PRESENT TIME**

Tsuna rushed through the forest, shopping bags in hand as his feet automatically took him down a familiar path. He was glad the Varia mansion was on the edges of Florence and it definitely hadn't been easy slipping away from Reborn as well as his Guardians and the Varia elite. Hurrying forward, he emerged in a small clearing littered with fiery golden leaves that announced the coming of winter.

Glancing around, senses on high alert at everything around him, the brunette made his way to one of the many trees in the forest. Giving a series of taps on the side of the tree, the teen stepped aside as the pattern of knocks sent a rumble rippling through the clearing ground before a whirring sound started and a hidden door opened in the ground. Smiling with satisfaction, he moved forward, dropping into the secret base under the Forest of Arsia.

"And here I was, hoping that last time would be _the last time_."

Tsuna sighed and turned to look at a chair situated in front of a large computer, half exasperated, half amused. "I told you you couldn't get rid of me that easily."

The chair turned to reveal a green-haired, bespectacled arcobaleno, eyes at half-mast, features calm as he stared back at the brunette.

The teen moved into the room, smile becoming more affectionate and concerned. "How are you, Verde?"

The scientist shrugged, expression indifferent. "Same as always. Stop asking that every time you come."

Tsuna's features became sheepish. "I just want to know how you're doing here, that's all. Do you have enough food to eat? This facility's not too cold is it? It's almost winter. You're not too lonely, right? I could get you a cat or something."

Verde sighed irritably before turning away to face his computer again. "Tsunayoshi, you are just as annoying as you were the last time and all the other times you visited. I have enough food. My facility has a furnace. In fact, it has multiple furnaces and, before you ask, I also have enough blankets and winter clothes. And I _do not_ want a cat. I already have an alligator, as well as an aggravating guest who won't shut up." The lightning arcobaleno turned to look over his shoulder, pinning a death glare on the future Vongola boss. "If you ask any more stupid questions, I'm going to kick you out."

Tsuna sweatdropped before nodding obediently. With a huff, Verde faced forward again, tapping absently at a few consoles at his workstation. He heard a rustle behind him and knew the teen was checking on his refrigerator, as he always did every time he came.

"Not healthy, already expired, practically rotting, gone bad…" Tsuna all but glared at the contents of the fridge before grabbing a garbage bag from one of the shopping bags he had brought in and tossing most of the food into it, wrinkling his nose at the smell rising from them. With a scowl, he plunged a hand into the shopping bags again and began restocking the fridge.

Verde suppressed the urge to roll his eyes as his mind cast back to some news he had come across by eavesdropping on some Varia soldiers. Small hands tightened into fists as he stared blankly at the screen in front of him.

"You okay, Verde?"

The scientist straightened, starting at the brunette's sudden question. _Stupid question_, his mind reminded him. "Fine, Tsunayoshi." The teen's hyper intuition never ceased to amaze him, especially when it came to other people's feelings.

"I heard you ran into some trouble in Japan." The scientist suddenly voiced, and then grimaced. He hadn't meant to say that.

Tsuna glanced over his shoulder, understanding flooding his features. "No harm done, Verde. "I didn't even get a scratch on me from those bullets."

Silence, not quite awkward but not quite companionable either, filled the room as both occupants concentrated on their respective tasks.

"That caretaker of yours still hasn't gotten around to hunting me down? Not very responsible of him, is it?" Again, it was Verde who spoke first, and again he grimaced. He hadn't meant to say that either.

Tsuna hummed a bit as he placed a milk carton into the fridge. "I convinced him otherwise. I think he knows instinctively that I wouldn't protest against something like this unless I had a really good reason for doing it. That's why he hasn't pushed it yet."

With a contented nod, the brunette straightened up, stuffing the empty shopping bags into his jacket pocket. Turning back to face the lightning arcobaleno, he approached the chair and flopped down beside the baby scientist. "Don't worry about it, Verde. Until I can get you out of this situation, I'll keep Vongola at bay."

Verde absently pushed his slipping glasses back up. "I have never asked for your help Tsunayoshi. I told you: so long as I can create, test out, and improve my inventions, I'm perfectly fine in any situation."

Tsuna studied the room's other occupant thoughtfully. "You're a bad liar, Verde." He finally piped up cheerfully, oblivious of the almost nonexistent frown on the arcobaleno's face. "When you don't like something, just say so. You don't have to lie to me. It's my job to look after my family after all."

The green-haired scientist snorted, shifting in his seat to glare at the brunette. "I'm not in your Family brat," He snapped scornfully. "Don't spout nonsense in front of me. It's bad enough that you have to come check on me every time you have nothing to do –" Verde cut himself off, pausing as he caught sight of the odd little smile that painted the other's face. Features tightening, he shut his mouth and turned away again.

"I don't mean Family," A soft voice sounded, shattering the thick silence. "I mean _family_."

The lightning arcobaleno gritted his teeth, mouth tightening into a thin line as he stopped himself from scrubbing a frustrated hand through his already messy hair. And then, almost inaudibly, he sighed, "I know." His eyes slanted sideways to study the brunette and was relieved to find the smile gone, replaced by something less heart-wrenching.

With a huff, the scientist leapt off the chair and headed out of the room. "Come on." He said stiffly. "I have something to show you." Light footsteps padded after him as he moved down one hallway and turned into another room.

"Here," The arcobaleno approached a small silver object set inside a glass case in the middle of the room. Pulling out a remote, he pressed the lone button on it and the case retracted. A small staircase led up to the object and Verde quickly scaled it before turning back to the brunette behind him.

Tsuna peered down at the item. "A ring?"

"Not just any ring," The scientist corrected, his voice taking on a lofty tone. "It can repel dying will flames."

Tsuna brightened before beaming down at the arcobaleno, who merely rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. "You're a genius, Verde! You could make a lot of money selling this to the Vongola and we'll be able to make good use of it too!"

Verde snorted, shaking his head as he picked up the ring. "This is the only one of its kind, idiot." He snapped before extending his hand, glasses flashing to hide his eyes. "It's yours."

Tsuna blinked, confusion spreading over his voice. "But Verde –"

"It's yours." The scientist repeated. The hand not holding onto the ring found itself useless and he quickly plunged it into one lab coat pocket. Quieter, he explained, "I destroyed all the blueprints and notes connected with inventing this. Technically speaking, _this_ doesn't exist." Turning to face the side, he continued, voice lowering even further. "It'll protect you from the dying will bullets that specifically target you. If I sell them to the Vongola, I'll have to give them to the Millefiore as well, and then it'll be useless."

Once again, silence fell like a blanket over them as Tsuna stared wide-eyed at the lightning arcobaleno who _still_ wouldn't look at him.

Verde's frown deepened as the brunette remained silent. "Well?" He demanded, gruff tone hiding his anxiety. "I spent months developing this. Are you going to take it or n–" The scientist tensed before releasing an exasperated sigh as warm arms gently gathered him into a tight hug.

"Thank you Verde." The affection and sincerity in the teen's voice didn't go unheard and the green-haired arcobaleno felt a deep satisfaction run through him at his accomplishment.

Finally releasing the scientist, Tsuna accepted the ring, curling a protective hand around it. "I'll always keep it with me."

Verde cleared his throat, thoroughly embarrassed but unwilling to show it. "You better. It won't be much help against really powerful flames but against the bullets I created, it should do fine."

Tsuna nodded happily, slipping the ring on before scooping a startled arcobaleno up again.

"Tsunayoshi, what are you doing?" Verde managed to inject the correct amount of annoyance in his voice as the brunette bounded out of the room.

Said brunette grinned. "I haven't seen your other rooms yet. Have to make sure you're doing okay, don't I?"

The scientist just managed an eyeroll before he was whisked away by the enthusiastic teen.

An hour later, new blankets filled his bedroom and new winter clothes hung from the hangers in his closets.

"There," Tsuna announced proudly. "You're set for winter."

Verde had given up talking the teen out of replacing his possessions and only shook his head. A beeping from the brunette's watch made him glance up and Tsuna's expression fell.

With a sigh, the teen straightened. "I have to go now."

Verde snorted. "Finally. You sure have a lot of free time for a future Mafia boss."

Tsuna scowled before stretching. "I don't have too much to do today. Reborn told me to take the day off since we're meeting with Rui tomorrow."

The lightning arcobaleno immediately stiffened. "I beg your pardon?" He snapped.

Tsuna froze, realizing his mistake. The warning 'don't even try' glare threw all his excuses out the window.

With a sigh, the brunette started to explain. "Rui, the Vendice Lightning Guardian, sent me a message a few days ago, saying that he wanted to meet with me alone tomorrow."

Verde continued to glare at him. "I hope you're not too much of an idiot to do as he says."

Tsuna shook his head ruefully. "Reborn wouldn't let me. He's coming, and so is my Cloud Guardian, Hibari Kyouya."

Adjusting his glasses, the scientist nodded. "Ah, that's right. You have Guardians now." A frown appeared, marring his features once more. "Reborn won't be of much help."

Tsuna nodded. "I know, but he insisted on coming anyway."

Verde snorted but said nothing. Instead, he entered his base's main room again and opened a cabinet fitted into one corner of the room. Rifling through it, the scientist finally pulled out a suit, identical to the one Reborn usually wore.

"Here," Verde handed the suit over, complete with a fedora. "Switch this suit with his normal one and make sure he wears it tomorrow." Seeing the brunette's bewilderment, the arcobaleno quickly clarified, "It'll make him invisible to all eyes but yours. I won't explain the details," He said with a smirk when Tsuna opened his mouth to ask. "Since that small brain of yours won't understand anything I say."

The teen sweatdropped before letting it go. Verde was probably right anyway. "Why does he need to be invisible?"

Verde wouldn't meet his eyes. "It's better this way," He muttered quietly, staring blankly into some unknown memory that Tsuna couldn't see. "I can't guarantee that something will happen to him if the Vendice sees him, but I can't promise that they _won't_ do something to him either. It's better if he stays hidden."

Abruptly, the scientist straightened up, meeting the brunette's gaze once more. "Reborn values his pride almost more than anything else when it comes to the Vendice. Don't tell him about the about the suit, he won't wear it, so just exchange his clothes without letting him notice." His expression darkened. "I don't like the bastard but he's still arcobaleno. It's better to be safe than sorry."

Tsuna frowned at the cryptic remarks coming from the lightning arcobaleno before accepting his words without question. "Okay, I'll try my best."

Verde nodded, relief flaring up inside him even though he had already known the future Vongola boss wouldn't question him.

"Alright then," Tsuna announced, rising to his feet. "I better get going before anyone gets suspicious." A teasing smile spread over his face as he headed to the exit of the base. "I had a lot of fun, Verde."

The scientist rolled his eyes. "Only an idiot would have fun uprooting another person's house."

Tsuna grinned, giving a cheerful wave as he was transported back up to forest level. "See you again soon!"

Verde shook his head in exasperation before turning to stroll back to his computer. But he couldn't quite hold back the smile that twitched at the corner of his lips.

**VARIA MANSION / DINING ROOM / HALF AN HOUR LATER**

"Where have you been, Dame-Tsuna?"

Tsuna turned and smiled at his tutor. "Just wandering around, Reborn." Still smiling easily, he offered his shoulder for the arcobaleno.

Jumping easily onto the brunette's shoulder, the hitman observed his student carefully before shrugging. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

The teen sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be. We can get to bed early today, just in case we have to fight tomorrow."

Reborn nodded and said no more, letting the future Vongola boss carry him out.

**Done another chapter! This one's a bit shorter but the next one should be longer!**

**Hope you enjoyed this one and please review!**


	3. Walking a Fine Line

**Disclaimer: I do not own any KHR characters…**

**Sorry for the long wait. Here is the next chapter!**

**Chapter 3 – Walking a Fine Line**

**VONGOLA MANSION / VONGOLA NONO'S OFFICE / SEVEN YEARS, SEVEN MONTHS AGO**

"She's dead."

Reborn stilled, fedora casting a shadow over his eyes as he perched neatly in one of the armchairs opposite the Nono.

Timoteo studied one of his most trusted hitmen before sighing heavily. "She died peacefully in her sleep. Her daughter will take her place as the next Boss, as well as the bearer of the Sky Pacifier."

Reborn didn't move an inch, round onyx eyes blank as he stared back at the Vongola Boss.

The Ninth watched the expressionless Arcobaleno for a moment longer, eyes softening. "A note was found on her desk; a last request you could say. She has asked you to look after her daughter in her place, to protect her to the best of your ability."

Dead silence, save for the soft ticking of the clock hanging on one wall.

"Is that all?"

Timoteo sighed again before nodding gravely. "Take it easy for a while, Reborn."

The hitman didn't answer as he hopped off the chair and disappeared out of the room, silent as a shadow.

Outside, the sun Arcobaleno headed straight for one of the many training facilities on Vongola ground. Five hours later, he came back out, thoroughly exhausted from the non-stop, extensive training he had just put himself through, but no less frustrated as he stalked away from the training grounds.

By the time Reborn reached his room, the hitman was ready to kill someone again. With a snarl, he ripped off his fedora and flung it across the room where it hit the wall with an unsatisfying 'thump'. His gaze swept the room before meeting the eyes of his new animal partner. Leon stared back, unblinking but worried. Reborn turned away, resentment welling up inside him as he jumped onto a nearby chair.

_'Damn you, Luche.'_

It was a hollow thought; pointless, ironic even more so. The hitman glared at the opposite wall, bitterness clenching at his heart.

"Take care of your daughter, huh?" His face twisted into a snarl. "You don't have any fucking right to say that to me. Damn you!"

Slumping back into the chair he was sitting in, Reborn felt the fight drain out of him as the reality of the situation sank in.

Luche was dead.

The Sky Arcobaleno was dead.

_Luche was dead…_

The Sun Arcobaleno's shoulders sagged, tilting his head forward so he could support it with his hands.

_And the daughter of the woman he had once cherished above all else, of the woman who had turned around and betrayed him in every sense of the word, was entrusted to him of all people._

**VONGOLA MANSION / VONGOLA NONO'S OFFICE / SIX YEARS AGO**

"Shut down the lab, Reborn." The Nono stared grimly at the baby hitman in front of him. "Destroy all evidence and make sure every one of those so-called scientists pay with their lives."

Reborn gave a curt nod before tilting his fedora up to throw his temporary Boss a considering glance. "Nono," He started carefully, calculating gaze never wavering. "I understand the need to destroy this lab and all who are related to those experiments they have been tampering with. But why is there such an urgent need? This situation is similar to that of the Estraneo Family's labs and, though the Vongola Family had some idea as to what was happening, you did not put out any orders for an immediate eradication then. What is different this time?"

Timoteo sighed heavily, not truly surprised that his best hitman had thrown these questions back at him.

"Do you remember Sawada Iemitsu?"

The subtlest of twitches flickered at Reborn's left eye. "That clown that used to parade around in nothing but his boxers when he wasn't working? I try not to."

A shadow of a humorous smile brushed the Boss' face, but the overwhelming sadness that came with it washed it away. Reborn's features tightened and he tilted his head into a brief nod.

"I remember," He replied brusquely. "Your old Outside Advisor. He died on a mission seven years ago though, didn't he? The wife was distraught about it, especially during the funeral. Started screaming at you during the reception and had to be dragged away before she attacked you." The hitman frowned. "Disappeared shortly afterwards, if I recall."

Timoteo nodded solemnly, turning his head to gaze absently out his office window, eyes tracing the tears that fell from the heavens.

"Disappeared, yes," He echoed softly. "And since then, we haven't been able to track her down. I wanted to offer her a home anywhere in the world, as well as money for childcare and living essentials but Sawada Nadeshiko has managed to evade our best spies and trackers; Iemitsu taught her well. Along with her, their son disappeared as well."

Reborn frowned. Why would that be strange? Any mother would take their child with them if they wanted to go into hiding.

Timoteo's lips thinned, eyes focusing back onto the Arcobaleno. "Reborn, I have checked _every single school _in _every single country_ in the world, and I couldn't find Sawada Tsunayoshi listed as a student anywhere."

"Maybe he's home-schooled." The fedora-wearing hitman offered.

The Nono was already shaking his head. "Children who are home-schooled are registered on a list that the government keeps track of. I have made inquiries but they didn't have anyone who matched the boy's description."

The Vongola Boss straightened, expression grave. "And now, seven years later, the spies I have ordered to track that woman down have finally found a trace leading to her. It's faint, but, after all this time, I think, credible."

As Reborn stared back steadily into the grim eyes of the Boss of the most powerful Famiglia in the world, a sinking feeling filled him as comprehension rapidly dawned on him.

"This lead," The Nono continued relentlessly. "Links directly back to the recently found lab. One of the spies followed a worker there. He didn't manage to get inside; the security was too tight, so he monitored the area surrounding it. Apparently, aside from the black car the worker arrived in, the only other vehicle in sight was a large truck which, he confirmed, carried trash out of the lab and straight to a canyon not far from there. The waste was dumped there where all evidence would disappear."

The Sun Arcobaleno registered all this information impassively, realizing that the worse was still to come. A sudden flash of anger that lit a fire in the usually calm eyes of his Boss confirmed that.

"The spy managed to catch a glimpse of the inside of the truck while it was on its way to the canyon." A deep sorrow rang in the old man's voice. "There were scraps of clothing in it, Reborn. Children's clothing, stained with blood."

Reborn's onyx eyes narrowed in understanding. "The kid…"

Timoteo nodded wearily, a regretful sort of wistfulness creeping into his expression. "He should be around ten or eleven now. Iemitsu always talked about his son and how he was someone everyone would love. 'He's adorable. He has Nana's hair and face', he would say," Reborn caught a small, sad smile as lightning flashed outside, casting shadows around the room. "'But he has _my_ eyes.' And he always said it with all the pride in the world."

The baby hitman released an imperceptible sigh as he finally pulled his fedora back over his eyes. "Understood, Nono." He promised curtly. "I'll bring the boy back and make sure that woman is taken care of accordingly."

Nono sighed heavily before nodding. "I'm counting on you, Reborn. If you find him, if he's still alive, bring him back. Bring him home."

Without another word, the Sun Arcobaleno swept out of the room, Leon perched precariously on his fedora as his eyes darkened with the promise of death.

He had never been partial to people who went out of their way to hurt children.

Turning a corner, his gaze lifted, meeting foreign yet achingly familiar green eyes.

"Reborn-jisan, are you going on a mission now?"

The hitman averted his eyes, continuing down the hallway without another glance at his sort-of charge. "Yes," He replied curtly, not bothering to turn around. "Stay out of trouble."

Seventeen-year-old Aria frowned for a moment before nodding dutifully at her foster uncle's fading back and giving a half-hearted wave. "Hai, Reborn-jisan. Have a safe trip."

Reborn didn't bother slowing, continuing around a corner until even the echo of Aria's voice could no longer be heard.

**OUTSIDE OF FLORENCE, ITALY / RIVER OF BENIO / PRESENT TIME**

Tsuna glanced cautiously at the surrounding forestry before dropping his gaze at the currently invisible home tutor standing beside him. Reborn had been quiet so far, staring unblinkingly ahead. With an imperceptible sigh, his gaze slowly drifted elsewhere, settling on his other companion that day. Standing further away, his Cloud Guardian stood under a tree, leaning against it, eyes closed and looking like he might as well be asleep.

As a gust of wind swept the clearing, sending miniature waves rippling down the running river behind them, the brunette`s gaze shifted once more, focusing again on the Arcobaleno beside him as they waited for the Vendice Lightning Guardian.

**FLASHBACK**

"Dame-Tsuna! What exactly are you doing?"

Tsuna froze for a heartbeat before spinning around, nervous grin pasted on his face. "Well, what does it look like Reborn? I`m putting away your clothes!"

Reborn continued to stare at him with a mixture of confusion and suspicion. "I can see that, Tsuna. _Why_ are you putting away _my _clothes?"

The teen wracked his brain before deciding on a half-truth. "Because I just finished dry-cleaning them." He announced hopefully and held out the suit Verde had given him. "I put the most effort into this one though so wear it today?"

The hitman continued to stare at him, expressionless. "You _dry-cleaned_ my clothes." He said flatly.

Tsuna nodded his head feverishly, trying to ignore the voice in his head screaming _'He is __**so**__ not going to believe that!'_

Reborn continued to stare at him with unnervingly still onyx eyes before, to Tsuna's disbelief, giving a nod. "Okay, I'll wear it."

The brunette pulled up, looking just as confused as Reborn had been. "Eh? You'll wear it? Really?"

The hitman nodded again, jumping up and taking the suit. "Now get out. I need to change."

Tsuna blinked dazedly before giving a sound of confirmation and hurrying out the door.

Inside the room, Reborn stared from the suit to the door his student had just gone through before shaking his head and proceeded to change.

"Either Dame-Tsuna's up to something again, or he's finally lost it."

Outside, Tsuna scampered off, skidding around a corner and almost crashing into his Cloud Guardian. Without giving much thought, the brunette grabbed the tonfa-wielding teen's hand and proceeded to drag him back to the room Reborn was in, rushing through an explanation on the way.

"Hibari-san, you know how the Arcobaleno and the Vendice don't get along? Well I got a suit for Reborn that should make him invisible to everyone except me, so could you pretend you can see him, but not really? I need you to test it out right now to make sure Reborn's wearing the right suit and– there he is!"

Tsuna finally skidded to a sudden halt and Hibari almost plowed into him. Reborn had just stepped out of the room and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his student who was pointing rather wildly at him.

Tsuna glanced anxiously at Hibari and caught the barest shift of silver as the other teen's gaze followed the brunette's finger, eyes flickering around the general area of the Sun Arcobaleno before settling on the area just beside Reborn's left ear.

With a long-suffering sigh, the prefect raised the hand that was still held tightly by the brunette, one eyebrow arched in annoyance. "I see. Now let me go omnivore, or I'll bite you to death."

The shorter teen flushed red, quickly releasing his Cloud Guardian with a muttered apology and a sheepish expression on his face. Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, Hibari turned and stalked off in the opposite direction without another glance at either one of them.

Tsuna let out a sigh before turning to face his tutor again, only to take a wary step back. The Arcobaleno was staring at him once again, definite suspicion drilling a hole into him.

Releasing a nervous laugh, the brunette ran a hand through his slightly messy hair. "Er, I wanted to show Hibari-san the suit I dry-cleaned for you."

Reborn sighed and shook his head before jumping onto his student's shoulder. "Whatever, Tsuna. But if you ever dry-clean my clothes again, I'm taking you to a doctor."

**FLASHBACK END**

A whisper of a rustle suddenly snapped the future Decimo out of his thoughts. Beside him, he could almost feel Reborn tensing. Hibari straightened from his stance, moving so that he was positioned in front of Tsuna, tonfas slipping out of his sleeves as his silver eyes narrowed.

An almost overwhelming flame pressure swept the area and Tsuna's jaw tightened, feet digging into the ground to keep from being pushed back.

"I believe I clearly stated to come alone, Decimo."

Tsuna's eyes flashed and he didn't need to look to Reborn to know that now was not the time to be friendly; now was the time to be Boss.

"You did." Tsuna agreed, voice neutral. "But I did not consent to it."

The brunette's eyes narrowed fractionally as, instead of the typical uniform of a Vendice guard, a man who looked to be in his late twenties with messy dark brown hair and sharp eyes the color of spring grass stepped out. He was wearing a casual pair of jeans, a simple, slightly worn, white shirt and a jacket thrown over it as if the piece of clothing had only been a last minute thought. A long jagged scar ran over the man's right eye in a diagonal line, giving all who saw his face a dangerous appearance. But Tsuna met those cool, calculating eyes evenly, knowing that, should he look away, he would lose the unspoken challenge between them.

The two of them stared at each other, one showing an almost palpable determination while the other reflected a chilling nothingness. But, after a moment longer, the taller of the two pulled back and the staring match stopped. A slight smile, merely a slight upward tilt of the lips, made its way onto the Vendice guard's face while Tsuna nodded back politely, each recognizing the other as an equal worth respecting.

"You are Rui-san, I presume?" Tsuna started, chocolate eyes a little less challenging and a little more welcoming.

The man tilted his head in acknowledgement. "I wondered if you would come," He admitted mildly, gaze thoughtful. "I should not have expected anything less."

A faint, slightly puzzled frown passed over the brunette's brow before smoothing away, unnoticed. Was the Vendice making conversation? Well, it didn't really matter. He quickly checked the scarred man for any injuries. After all, Naoto did say that Rui had been punished. Once satisfied that there was nothing out of order, he spoke up once more.

"So," Tsuna continued briskly. "What did you want to talk about?" He paused, a mixture of intuition and skill probing at the darkness of the forest behind Rui. "And who else did you bring with you?"

This time, Rui's eyebrows rose in more noticeable surprise before smiling again, still faint but more real.

"As expected of Vongola Decimo." The Lightning Guardian shifted, glancing into the thick forestry behind him. "It seems they already know you're here. You might as well come out."

At first, nothing moved save for the leaves that shuddered in the sweeping autumn breeze. Then, in a silent, lethally graceful movement that reminded Tsuna of his own Cloud Guardian, a shadow detached itself from the looming trees and came to a standstill beside the Vendice Lightning Guardian.

Rui turned to face the brunette again, eyes sharp. "This is Alessio de Luca. The Cloud Guardian of the Vendice."

A tension-filled silence spread out through the clearing as all eyes turned to stare at the tall, raven-haired man. If Tsuna had to describe the man in front of him with one word, it would be… deadly. The man's black locks were tied back in a ponytail that extended all the way to his waist as shorter bangs hung and curled inward just above his collarbone. The man was stunning to say the least, and the frigid killer aura that hung around him could compare perfectly to that of any seasoned assassin's. With a white shirt and black pants, he looked every part of the Mafia. But it was not the man's demeanor that made Tsuna pause, nor was it the high cheekbones, sharp chin, and slender face, unusual in an Italian, staring dismissively back at him that made the brunette wary.

It was the eyes.

The mismatched eyes that stared back at him, one a fathomless black, the other a gleaming blood red, seemed to penetrate through the teen, stripping away any falsities the brunette might be trying to hide. Tsuna returned the intimidating stare eye for eye, thinking with grim humor that Mukuro could never watch him with such killing intent.

Out of the corner of his eye, the brunette saw Hibari start, his whole form tensing in a way that had nothing to do with the Vendice Cloud Guardian's demeanor. Another confused frown passed over Tsuna's face before he focused on the situation at hand. Stepping forward, he extended a hand to the raven-haired assassin, flawlessly switching to Italian.

"I am Tsunayoshi Sawada, Decimo of the Vongola Famiglia."

Alessio simply continued to stare back at him, a slightly haughty glimmer slithering into the otherwise emotionless onyx eye. On the other hand, the ruby eye skewered into the brunette, piercing and judging.

For what seemed like an eternity, both sides locked themselves in a staring match, pushing and challenging. The exchange finally ended when the taller of the two blinked, released an almost inaudible sigh, and extended his own hand, grasping the brunette's hand in an icy, unforgiving grip. The two gave a firm shake and a warning was given; neither side would give an inch.

Stepping back, Tsuna turned his head to the side, gesturing at the Japanese beside him. "This is Kyouya Hibari, my Cloud Guardian." The brunette noticed the slight frown that passed over Reborn's face when Tsuna didn't introduce him.

Through narrowed eyes, the teen observed the minute details in the skylark, a tinge of worry spreading through him as Hibari remained tense, silver eyes firmly fixed on the black-haired Italian with almost forceful concentration. He didn't have much time to worry though when Rui started speaking again.

Rui, seemingly satisfied that nothing explosive had occurred, spoke up once more, voice grave. "I asked to meet you here today, Decimo, because I believe the Vendice Famiglia is getting out of hand." He paused, green eyes studying the brown eyes almost shining back at him. "Or rather, I believe the power the Vendice holds is getting out of hand."

Tsuna frowned, pondering the other's words. "And what do you want Vongola to do about it?" He questioned.

Rui gave a sharp shake of his head. "I don't want the Vongolato do anything about it. I want _you_ to do something about it."

The brunette could only stare. "Me?"

"You. And your Famiglia." The Lightning Guardian finally shifted his gaze to the sparkling river and the field sprawled lazily beyond that. "After all these years," He voiced softly, expression distant. "The power that the Vendice sought, the power to rise above all other Famiglias, to be able to triumph even death, is nothing but a lie." His gaze returned to the brunette in front of him. "A lie that will only ever bring about our downfall."

Tsuna's frown deepened, searching for evidence of any lies in the scarred features before him. "You are speaking of the Arcobaleno." He finally said.

Rui inclined his head. "Every generation, we find seven humans most suitable to bear the Arcobaleno curse, only to enable us to live another century. It is a meaningless existence; living forever."

The teen stilled, mind flashing briefly back to a childhood that wasn't. Pushing the memories away, he concentrated on the two in front of him again. "I won't push for my information." He stated bluntly, reverting back to his direct self. "I know pretty much all the Arcobaleno and not one of them are willing to say anything on the subject. I doubt either of you will be any better at coughing up information. But what can I do? If you want to break away from whatever this power is that makes your existences meaningless, _you_ are only ones who can do anything about it."

All at once, Rui's features tensed and, beside him, Alessio's eyes narrowed dangerously. But Tsuna didn't back down, staring back at them defiantly. "Do something about it yourselves; you can't expect anyone else to help you if you don't put in the effort to help yourselves first."

The sudden apprehension that spanned the clearing seemed to palpitate as both Vendice Guardians seemed ready to attack. Hibari was still frozen to his spot, gaze never shifting from Alessio, and Tsuna wondered if the skylark would be able to help if he was attacked.

But, all at once, the tension seemed to dissipate just as quickly as it had come and, to Tsuna's surprise, it was Alessio who spoke up this time.

"Every one of our lives are tied to that of the Vendice Boss'." The Cloud Guardian said flatly, baritone voice smooth as silk. "Our Boss' word is law. We serve him, and only him. It is impossible to go directly against him."

The distaste in the man's voice was clear, and Tsuna supposed all Cloud Guardians were the same; being forced to tie themselves down to anything was painful for them.

"But what can I do?" Tsuna questioned. "Not only do I not know the whole situation, I'm only the future Vongola Decimo. You would do better to ask the Nono for a–"

"No." Rui cut in abruptly. "I have already said; it must be you."

"Why?"

"You came." The Lightning Guardian responded simply.

Tsuna arched a questioning eyebrow.

"You came today." The man clarified. "Not alone, but you came nonetheless. No other person would have come with such a small security detail." He paused, studying the brunette carefully. "And no other Don would have come at all, especially if the people he is meeting with have put out an order of execution for him."

Tsuna stiffened for a heartbeat before relaxing again, a genuine smile curving his lips for the first time during the meeting. "You don't seem like bad people." He told them cheerfully, not missing the stunned expressions that flickered in their eyes. "But," He continued, brown eyes hardening with resolve. "If you pull my Famiglia into anything, I'll never forgive you."

At this, even Alessio's features relaxed ever so slightly. He grunted, slipping his hands into his pockets. Rui gave another slight nod. "Rest assured, Decimo. I cannot guarantee your Famiglia's safety from my own, but from myself and from Alessio, you have our word."

'Which,' Tsuna thought wryly. 'Shouldn't really reassure anyone.'

The brunette nodded though, and continued. "So what exactly do you want me to do?"

"Start investigating the Vendice." Rui started briskly. "Especially our Boss. There has to be a way to break the Arcobaleno curse, or, at the very least, reverse it to an extent."

Tsuna sighed. "Do I get a name?"

The scarred man hesitated, looking, for the first time, uncomfortable.

"Crollo Serpente."

"Alessio!" Rui turned sharply to his fellow Guardian, eyes glaring. Alessio didn't look affected in the slightest, not even bothering to glance at the Lightning Guardian.

"Crollo Serpente." He repeated. "A cowardly man who fears nothing more and nothing less than death."

Tsuna was half-stunned, partly because it was the longest sentence he had heard Alessio string together today and partly because…

"He's in the Mafia." Tsuna pointed out. "He's surrounded by death."

"After so many centuries of living, being able to avoid death itself, he has changed, always afraid of dying." The raven-haired man told him bluntly. "That's why he has become more and more desperate in keeping anything and everything that relates back to the Vendice a secret."

Alessio turned, returning his own, much more efficient glare in Rui's direction. "_You_ talked me into this," He snapped harshly. "_You_ were the one who started pulling away from our Famiglia first. When you came to me and explained yourself and your actions in keeping the Decimo alive, I agreed with your ideals. _That_ is why I am here now. You have made your decision. Hesitating and avoiding the problem will get you nowhere."

As the Cloud Guardian finished, Rui had gone slightly wide-eyed at his colleague's long speech. Tsuna glanced from Rui to Alessio before moving his gaze to his own Cloud Guardian. The skylark was still standing in the same position but the slightest glimmer of confusion and shock had clouded his eyes. Tsuna darted a glance at the two Vendice soldiers in front of him before stepping back to stand beside Hibari.

"Are you okay, Hibari-san?"

The silver-eyed teen blinked before finally shifting his focus to the brunette. His features closed and he gave a noncommittal sound before stepping away from Tsuna. The brunette frowned worriedly but had no more time to probe further when Rui finally spoke up again.

"You are right, as always." With a slight smile and a sigh, Rui turned back, gazing steadily at Tsuna. "My apologies, Decimo. Crollo Serpente is our Boss, and has been since before Vongola Primo created the Vongola Famiglia and stepped up as its Boss." A heavy sigh punctuated the explanation. "In the beginning, Crollo was… disturbed by the disorder and turmoil in the Mafia. There was no law, no order. Everything was absolute chaos. People died everyday. It was not so rare to see dead bodies piled together in back alleys. Hitmen could kill someone in broad daylight and no one would say anything about it. So he gathered six others and proposed his idea: to rise above all other Families in terms of power and become the law. A law that no man could defy because we would be strong enough to tame even the most bloodthirsty of assassins. It was a brilliant idea," Rui's voice had softened with the weight of memories. "At first. Vendicare became a place that could strike fear in anyone. It still is, but back then, we were also respected. We laid down the law to stop the mindless killing, but now," A pained look flashed through the Lightning Guardian's eyes. "Now we're back to where we started."

"The power's gone to Crollo's head." Alessio stated flatly. "He sends out execution orders just because he can. Not just on other hitmen either. One way or the other, civilians are always involved. Now he has put out an execution order for the Vongola heir because the Vongola is getting much too influential."

Tsuna digested all this wordlessly, bangs shading his eyes. "So basically," He looked up, normally gentle brown eyes now hardened with a foreign, unidentified emotion. "You tried to play God and, now that the plan has backfired on you, you want me and my Famiglia to clean up your mess."

A stiff silence followed the future Decimo's words. Rui's features had darkened and a frown had creased his brow. Alessio merely stared back, mismatched eyes searching the teen for answers.

"Yes," It was Rui who finally spoke, gaze steady and determined. "I suppose, when you boil it down, that is exactly what we are asking. Of course, we will try to help as much as possible."

"And you think I would put my Famiglia through this?" Tsuna's voice was quiet, neutral, any anger tightly reigned.

"We are not asking your help for free." Alessio cut in sharply. "We will repay any debts owed to you."

Rui glanced sideways at the Cloud Guardian before speaking once more. "If you succeed, Decimo, the world will be free of one megalomaniac. Also," The Lightning Guardian paused before seemingly resolving himself to the offer. "Should any of the Vendice survive after Crollo has been taken down, I will do everything in my power to either ally the Vendice with the Vongola, or, should Vongola request it, personally see to the complete destruction of the Vendice Famiglia."

Involuntarily, Tsuna's head jerked to the side to gauge his tutor's reaction. Reborn's eyes had widened almost dramatically and something akin to grim satisfaction flickered across his face. The brunette's features tightened. He knew all seven Arcobaleno had every right to be angry at the Vendice. From what he could understand of all the bits and pieces of information he had managed to scrounge from a variety of sources, the baby hitmen had had their lives turned upside down. But for an entire Family to fall?

"I can't promise anything." The teen said at last. "My Famiglia will always be top priority for me. But," Tsuna pinned the Lightning Guardian with an even gaze. "I'll do what I can. I'll look into the Vendice and see what I can come up with."

Alessio stepped forward. "And in return?"

Tsuna didn't think anyone could look colder than Alessio did at the moment. No one wanted a debt held over them.

"In return, be a real Famiglia again."

The future Decimo's features relaxed, genuine smile curving his lips. "You started as one, right? And the mindless killing back then stopped because of the Vendice. Just go back to what you once were, and stop trying to play God. That's all."

An almost deafening silence fell on them as both Vendice Guardians looked… thrown. Reborn's expression had tightened and his eyes had shuttered, closing off from the rest of the world. Hibari, on the other hand, looked as indifferent as always and, if Tsuna hadn't caught the sliver of turmoil in the skylark's eyes, he would've thought that his Cloud Guardian really didn't care.

"A real Famiglia?" Rui watched the brunette in front of him, wondering how the Nono had managed to rope someone with such a positive outlook on life into the bloody, unforgiving Mafia.

Beside him, Alessio turned and headed back into the forest. "Wrap it up, Fulmine (1). I'm heading back first." And, without looking back, the Vendice Cloud Guardian disappeared into the darkness of the forest, ponytail lashing behind him like a hunting panther's tail.

Rui watched his colleague go, genuine amusement flickering inside him. It was just like Alessio to get annoyed when faced with something he didn't understand.

"Rui-san?"

The scarred man quickly turned back, head dipping into a form of agreement. "An unexpected request, but not unwelcome. I shall consent to your terms, Decimo."

"Tsuna."

Once again, Rui stilled, gaze thoughtful even as he arched a questioning eyebrow.

"Call me Tsuna." The brunette insisted with a cheerful smile. "Or Tsunayoshi, I suppose. Only my Storm Guardian calls me Decimo."

For the first time since they had met by the river, the Lightning Guardian's frame fully relaxed as he nodded again. "Very well. Tsunayoshi then." He gave a slight bow of his head. "Until we meet again, Tsunayoshi. I will send the time and place when I get more information."

Tsuna nodded. "Right. I'll be waiting. In the mean time, I'll try to do some research of my own."

With a slight smile tinged with bemusement, Rui turned, melting into the shadows after his Cloud Guardian.

Of course, just when Tsuna was ready to congratulate himself on a job well done, God just had to throw in a little something for His own amusement.

"Wait."

Tsuna stiffened and Hibari's gaze shifted into a pensive glare as Reborn spoke up. In front of them, Rui stopped, back still turned to them as the seemingly disembodied voice sounded.

_Shit._

The brunette watched with bated breath as his tutor took a step forward, eyes menacing. "Do you really think we would forget what you have done to us?"

Rui slowly turned back, head tilted slightly as his eyes roamed around Reborn's general area for a brief moment before settling on Tsuna again in an almost considering manner.

"Tell your Arcobaleno friends that, should we succeed, the curse on them will also be broken." He turned to face the swaying trees again, moving away once more. "And, of course, should that time come, we are willing to compensate for their loss, by whatever means necessary. But, as of now, Alessio and I are your allies. Neither he nor I will go back on our word."

Tsuna could only nod, relieved that Rui had chosen to let the situation go. He quickly stepped in front of Reborn as his tutor reached for Leon, giving the Lightning Guardian time to successfully melt into the forest.

"Tsuna!" The Arcobaleno snapped harshly, eyes agitated.

The brunette's eyes narrowed, staring firmly back at his tutor. "Reborn, enough. We've earned two new allies today, and with the Vendice no less. Shooting them isn't going to help anyone."

"They can't be trusted." Reborn threw back flatly, glaring at the teen.

"I'm choosing to trust them now." Tsuna shot back, resolve and conviction strengthening his voice. "And I will continue to trust them until they give me reason to do otherwise."

"So the fact that they turned seven humans into babies to ensure their own lives isn't reason enough?" Reborn's voice was darker now, hand curling around Leon's gun form.

The brunette's lips thinned as he straightened. "I'm not saying that what they did was right. Experimenting with people's lives is wrong; I know that better than most. You _know_ I do. But they're paying for it now. They want to help." His brown eyes hardened. "They've agreed to whatever punishment the Arcobaleno will decide on and they're willing to help break the curse. Isn't that enough?"

Reborn's jaw visibly tightened as his baby face grew colder. "Will they die if I tell them to? Will they succumb to torture if the Arcobaleno decides it? Death is too good for them. They should be put through a living hell of our making so that death would seem more than welcome when it eventually comes."

Tsuna had grown colder and colder as he listened to Reborn's almost-rant. He had never heard Reborn take on this tone before; a mixture of cruel bloodlust and icy rage.

"There is always a reason, Reborn." He voiced hollowly. "They had a reason for joining Crollo. I'm sure of it. They're not Gods, and at least two of them are starting to realize it." He paused, feeling the flicker of a darker flame stirring inside him, as it always did when his emotional balance dissolved. "But you aren't a God either, Reborn. You have no right to tell them to die!"

The teen jerked back as a loud gunshot rang out, grazing his cheek as his reflexes pulled him out of the way just in time. He turned shocked eyes on his tutor as one hand reached up to touch the cut, coming away again smudged with blood. Fisting his hand, he tried to stop himself from shaking.

Because, in all the years Tsuna had known Reborn, the Sun Arcobaleno had never lashed out at him in anger before.

During training, yes. Bullets would always come flying his way.

When the tutor was annoyed, also yes. The bullets would fly around him while he ducked for cover but Tsuna was sure that, had he stayed still, not one of the bullets from Reborn would have even brushed him.

But for Reborn to take an actual shot at him, one that would have certainly killed him had he stayed still or not moved away fast enough was something Tsuna had never expected him to do.

The baby hitman seemed to realize this too as his whole figure stilled, gun quickly lowering so that it pointed at the ground. But before either could move or speak, Hibari was there, not even trying to pinpoint the hitman before dropping a firm hand on the brunette's shoulder and steering him in the direction of the Varia Mansion.

"Enough, Baby," The skylark threw over his shoulder curtly, the other hand extending with a Kleenex. "We're going back."

After a tense moment, Tsuna reached out, taking the tissue and pressing it against his cheek. Head lowered, he allowed his Cloud Guardian to lead him in the direction of the Mansion.

Behind them, Reborn sighed wearily as Leon turned back, settling on the Arcobaleno's fedora. It wasn't until the two teens were several feet in front of him that he too moved forward, desperately wondering how to fix the situation with his student.

**VARIA MANSION / MAIN ENTRANCE / FLORENCE, ITALY / PRESENT TIME**

"I'll be fine, Hibari-san." Tsuna quickly reassured the glaring skylark, flashing a smile in his direction. "More importantly, are you okay?"

All at once, a door seemed to slam shut as Hibari pulled away.

Tsuna frowned, recalling his Cloud Guardian's reaction during their meeting with the Vendice. "Was something wrong? You seemed a bit tense back at the clearing when Alessio appeared."

Hibari stilled for a heartbeat before releasing a noncommittal sound and turning to disappear into the Mansion looming over them, sharp eyes shadowed. Tsuna watched him go, deciding with a sigh that he would push later. The skylark looked more confused than anything else.

"Tsuna."

The quiet baby-like voice made the brunette stiffen, tensing as he turned to face his tutor. He quickly pasted a strained smile on his face.

"Don't worry about it, Reborn. Come on, the meeting took all afternoon. It's almost time for dinner. We can both go get cleaned up."

With that said, the brunette whirled around again, moving quickly up the steps to the warmth of the castle and unconsciously away from the Arcobaleno behind him.

Reborn muttered a curse under his breath, tiny hands clenching before he followed his student inside. There was nothing to be done now. He would wait for the brunette to calm down before cornering him to apologize.

Inside, Tsuna swept down the hallways toward his room, almost crashing headlong into Xanxus along the way.

"What's wrong with you?" Was the demanded greeting, red eyes flickering to the cut on the brunette's cheek.

It figured that Xanxus would spot something off in a heartbeat and demand to know what it was in another.

Beaming another smile at the scowling Varia leader, Tsuna quickly breezed by, calling out cheerfully, "Nothing's wrong, Xanxus-nii! The meeting went great! I'll tell everyone at dinner!"

Xanxus watched him go before turning to pin glaring red eyes on the general area where he felt the Sun Arcobaleno was standing.

"I have no fucking idea what you did but you had better fucking fix it!" He barked. "And change before you come to dinner. We don't serve invisible assholes."

Reborn watched the man storm off, frowning as he glanced himself. So that was what Tsuna was up to this morning. No wonder the Vendice hadn't acknowledged his presence.

He sighed. So his student was trying to protect him again. It figured. And now he felt even guiltier than before.

This was turning out to be one hell of a day.

**VARIA MANSION / HIBARI KYOUYA'S ROOM / PRESENT TIME**

Sinking down on one of the chairs in the sparse room, Hibari ran a hand through his hair, frustration pounding at his head. His mind cast back to the lean, long-haired Italian and a flash of frigid rage rushed through him.

Alessio de Luca.

The name meant nothing to him. Neither did the long hair or angular face.

But that bright, penetrating, red eye, full with the promise of death, coupled with the deep onyx.

He had seen those eyes before. Fathomless black and pitiless red.

Hovering over his mother's blood-soaked body.

**Finished! Sorry for the long wait.**

**Hope you enjoy and review!**

**I'll try to post the next chapter within the next two weeks!**

**(1) – Lightning. Alessio has a habit of calling his fellow Guardians by their Italian title.**


	4. Conflicts, Old Friends, New Encounters

**Disclaimer: I do not own any KHR characters…**

**First off, I would like to clarify that, though this series is Family-based, 'Clash with the Vendice' won't focus specifically on Tsuna's past and how his Guardians find out. There will be hints of Tsuna's past throughout the series but his whole past will not be revealed until much later. 'Clash with the Vendice' revolves around strengthening the Tenth Generation's bonds with each other as well as with other individuals. Its main plot is the breaking of the Arcobaleno curse and the struggle between the Vendice and the Vongola.**

**Secondly, in the previous chapter, I might not have been clear enough when Xanxus knew where Reborn was: He's a trained assassin; skills and all you know.**

**That's it! For some reason, this chapter was really hard to write, not to mention that it's turned out longer than I planned it to be. I've written and rewritten this one about ten times and this was the version I finally settled on. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

**Chapter 4 – Conflicts, Old Friends, and New Encounters**

**MAIN OFFICE OF VENDICARE PRISON ****/ TEN YEARS AGO**

"Even the Sun Arcobaleno's dead. That's four in three months. Droppin' like flies these days."

"Some respect if you please, Lustra."

A mocking laugh of derision filled the room. "Just statin' a fact, Your Uptight Highness. Stupid vessels always get to be so useless in the end."

"Please stop, Lustra."

Immediate fear-tinged silence filled the very corners of the entire room as the soft, childlike, almost timid voice sounded.

"Yes, Boss."

An uncomfortable air hovered over them all as the assembled Guardians waited for their Boss to continue.

A hand, colored the whitest of ivory, shifted to the surface of the table that they sat around, forefinger tapping gently against the metal.

"We must find a new set of vessels." The lilting tone caressed the Guardians' ears even as rhythmic thuds of short legs that couldn't quite touch the ground swinging against a leather chair echoed in the background.

Another short pause and then, "You seem unhappy about this, Rui."

A figure sitting in a seat farthest away from the voice tensed ever so slightly. "Not unhappy, Boss." The figure replied smoothly, not missing a heartbeat. "Just calculating how much time it would take us to find another set."

A bright, seemingly innocent smile filled with gentle benignity cut a line on the face that sat at the head of the table. "Ah, I see. My apologies then, Rui. A mistake on my part. The less time the better. Please get started right away."

Taking their cue, the Guardians stood, bowed deeply to the still-sitting figure before filing out the door.

"Acuzio, please stay behind."

The tall the figure that had been sitting silently at the Boss' right side throughout the meeting turned, stepping away from the crowd. As the metal door finally swung shut, the standing form moved back into the centre of the room, eyes questioning.

"Keep an eye on our dear friend Rui, will you?" The voice portrayed nothing but concern as bright blue eyes stared imploringly up at Acuzio. "He might get hurt having such dangerous thoughts in his head."

The motionless figure nodded dutifully and, when nothing more was forthcoming, moved once again to the door. This time, no voice called him back and he moved safely through the metal door without restraint.

Inside, merry blue eyes shone like two stars in the night sky as legs continued to swing absently against the leather chair.

"And another game begins." The mouth turned up into a light smile. "A more challenging one this time, I hope. The last one was so boring."

**VENDICARE PRISON / PRESENT TIME**

Rui's eyes snapped open and his arms uncrossed as the door to the main office swung open, revealing a carefree-looking young man with bright red hair. Though half-hidden by shadows, the redhead's mischievous emerald green eyes immediately cut through the darkness' cloak, meeting his own at an astounding speed.

The man's smile grew as he carelessly let the metal door clang shut behind him before moving away from both the door and the Lightning Guardian.

"What did he order you to do?"

Rui's monotone voice snaked through the hallway, effectively halting the redhead's movements.

The man merely turned back, roguish grin in place as he tilted his head in Rui's direction. "He let me out to play, of course. The most fun I'll probably have for a while so I'll be sure to make the most of it." Waving a hand in the air, the redhead continued on his way. "Don't wait up, dear. I'll be gone for some time."

Behind him, Rui's eyes narrowed. Whatever Crollo had planned, it definitely wasn't good. Turning abruptly, he headed for Alessio's quarters to fill the other man in on this new development.

**VARIA MANSION / TSUNA'S OFFICE / PRESENT TIME**

"Paperwork, paperwork, more paperwork!" A frustrated brunette threw down a stack of papers in disgust. "I'm not even in the Vongola Mansion and I _still_ have to do paperwork!"

Sitting comfortably in an armchair across the room, red eyes darted up from the sizeable text he was reading, smirk curving his lips.

"Watching you," Xanxus commented almost cheerfully. "I can honestly say that I am more than glad to have given up the heir position."

Tsuna glared at his surrogate brother. "You're evil." He accused. "And mean. But mostly mean. To me."

"Yes I am." The man drawled, returning to his book. "But you should be grateful that I've found it in me to keep you company while you suffer, brat."

The teen only rolled his eyes as he returned to the dreaded papers on his desk. "The only reason you're here is because you find it entertaining."

The only response was another smirk and Tsuna could only let a reluctant smile surface as they fell back into a companionable silence once more, broken only by the scratching of a pen and the occasional flipping of a page.

Fifteen minutes later, a shrill ring split the comfortable quiet and Tsuna quickly moved to pick up the phone, frowning as a blinking blue light told him it was on his private line, as Xanxus looked up again in irritation.

"This is Tsuna." He said briskly.

_"Hey, Tsuna!"_

The brunette almost dropped his phone. "Dino-nii?" Across the room, Xanxus released an annoyed sigh before returning to his book, but the brunette didn't have to look to know the man was listening to every word.

"Dino-nii! I thought you were still in the hospital! Are you okay? _Why aren't you resting?_"

The rapid-fire questions were abruptly halted by a sheepish laugh on the other end. _"I'm much better now, Tsuna. There's no need to worry. My doctor gave me the okay a few days ago and I thought I'd surprise you with a visit. But then I remembered that Xanxus doesn't like unexpected visitors. He doesn't particularly like me either so he didn't give me his phone number, which is why I now have to call you. Tell him I'll be there in three hours, 'kay?"_

Tsuna sweatdropped as Xanxus looked up in absolute disgust at the turn of events. The Varia leader swept to his feet, book forgotten and, in three strides, snatched the phone from the brunette's hand.

"Listen, scum!" He barked, eyes narrowed in rage. "You put one foot on my estate and I'll make sure you never walk again!"

_"Oh! Xanxus!"_ Tsuna facepalmed as Dino's voice continued on cheerfully. _"Tsuna didn't tell me you were there! Well this makes things easier! I`ll be there in three hours. No need to have a welcome party for me! I`m sure Tsuna will be there to greet me! See you later!"_

"Wait," Tsuna reached out for the phone still trapped in the Varia leader's grip. "Xanxus-nii, don't–"

CRACK!

"–break the phone." Tsuna could only sigh in defeat as his office's means of communication shattered.

"I'll buy you a new one." The scarred man growled, dropping the pieces to the ground and heading for the door. "A welcome party, huh? I'll show him a fucking welcome party!"

Tsuna sighed again, rubbing at his temples as the man stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

"Sometimes," He commented to no one in particular. "I feel like I'm the only adult around."

Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at his door and Tsuna looked up from the decreasing pile of paperwork in front of him.

"Come in!" He called.

The door swung open and Gokudera walked in, grinning.

"Good morning, Jyuudaime! You said you had something for me to do?"

Tsuna smiled almost indulgently, putting his pen away. "Good morning, Gokudera-kun. I have some things to show you. Come here."

The bomber hurried over to the brunette, who had risen to grab a stack of files from a nearby shelf. Briskly, he ushered the other teen into a chair before taking a seat beside him. Placing the stack of papers on the glass table in front of them, he turned to explain.

"Gokudera-kun, do you remember when I asked if you would be my right-hand?"

Green eyes widened before a quick nod was given.

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "Is your answer still the same?"

The bomber stilled, gaze glued firmly on the brunette before giving another firm nod. "No matter where Jyuudaime goes or what happens," He declared sincerely. "I'll always be at Jyuudaime's side."

Tsuna stared for a moment longer before letting a genuine smile surface. "I see. Very well. As right-hand man, there are some extra things that you'll have to learn and know like the back of your hand." He gestured to the stack of papers. "Here is a collection of information on the Vongola Family about its allies, its influence in different countries, the various safe houses situated in different parts of the world, and so on. As my right-hand man, you are required to go through all of this."

Gokudera took all of two seconds to make up his mind. A grin split his face as determined green eyes stared back at him.

"You can count on me, Jyuudaime!" The bomber beamed, quickly grabbing the stack of documents as if afraid the brunette would change his mind. "I'll make the best right-hand man any Family's ever seen!"

Tsuna let another smile appear before it gave way to something more grim. "Things are going to happen, and soon, Gokudera-kun. We need to be prepared. The Vongola Famiglia cannot afford to be left open to enemy attack. Vendice, Millefiore. No matter what happens from now on, Vongola must come out on top. The Nono is working hard on keeping the Vongola safe, but there is no denying the fact that we, the younger, less experienced, Tenth Generation Vongola, are the weakest link at the moment."

The silver-haired teen gave a final nod, expression grave at the significance of Tsuna's words. "I understand, Jyuudaime." He replied briskly, standing up. "It doesn't matter to me how much work I have to do. I know Jyuudaime will always have double the work I'll ever have, so please rely on me as much as you can."

The brunette finally stood as well, approval mixing with gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, Gokudera-kun."

The bomber just grinned back, roguish and proud, and Tsuna thought wistfully that he would do just about anything to make sure his Storm Guardian would always be able to smile like that at the end of each day.

With a deep bow, said Storm Guardian bounded out of the office, enthusiasm almost contagious.

Tsuna smiled, satisfied, before returning to his own work. To be honest, Reborn had suggested to the brunette that Gokudera be trained by someone else. But Tsuna just couldn't quite bring himself to hand over the bomber's training to another person, even if said person was Nono's own right-hand. It just didn't seem right. Gokudera Hayato was his Guardian and friend after all; it was Tsuna's job to make sure the bomber was trained to be a capable right-hand, no matter what Reborn said.

The brunette frowned; sinking back into his seat. He had been hesitant in approaching his tutor for a while though he had tried anyway, but Reborn didn't seem to be all that enthusiastic about talking to him. Even during dinner two nights ago when he explained the meeting with the Vendice to his Family, they had avoided eye contact with each other. After two days, the brunette had finally backed off, figuring that Reborn would find him when he was ready. He himself didn't really want to confront the tutor at the moment.

And Tsuna didn't quite know why.

It wasn't as if he had never had anyone point a gun or any kind of weapon at him before. Xanxus had once, years ago, along with the Varia. Verde had threatened to fry him with lightning as well. Even the Ninth's Guardians had been wary of him at first. And he had met his fair share of assassins.

But Reborn was different. Reborn was Hitman and Savior and Guardian and Tutor and Friend and _Family_. And none of the others, not even Xanxus, had been friends much less family with him back then.

And besides, it was Reborn who had been there, from the very beginning.

It wasn't a matter of forgiving, the brunette decided. Short of killing everyone in the Vongola Family, Tsuna was fairly certain he could forgive Reborn for anything.

So what was it?

The teen had no more time to think about it however when the door was all but kicked open again and a glaring Xanxus came striding back in, throwing himself back onto the armchair he had previously been sitting in.

Tsuna said nothing, suppressing a small smile as he returned to his paperwork.

"What happened with the Arcobaleno?"

Or at least _tried_ to return to his paperwork. The question tossed his attempt out the window as he stilled, pen hovering over one of hundreds of ink-stained paper.

The brunette slowly raised his head, meeting sharp crimson. "What do you mean?" He asked, trying to smile.

The Varia leader snorted, leaning back into the armchair, tilting his head to observe the future Tenth. "Don't give me that shit, brat. You can't lie to me for your life, and it doesn't take a genius to see that you've been avoiding the bastard like the fuckin' plague. So what happened?"

Tsuna watched the scarred man for a few more seconds, before lowering his ball pen once more. Giving up on the towering stack of paperwork still waiting on his desk, he rose and moved across the room, kicking off his shoes and curling up on the oversized armchair across from the Varia leader.

"He has a pretty big grudge against the Vendice." The brunette started quietly, brown eyes meeting red. "You should've seen him at the meeting. He looked ready to go on a massacre."

Gaze narrowing, Xanxus observed the brunette for a moment before shrugging. "He did have his whole life taken from him. He can't grow any older. The people he associated with are growing and moving on without him. Can't say I blame him for being pissed off."

Tsuna blinked before nodding, looking almost resigned. "So you think I made a wrong decision yesterday too?"

To say that the number of people who weren't enthusiastic about the deal with the Vendice was an understatement.

But to his surprise, the Varia leader only released a noise of disbelief. "Did I say that brat?" He scoffed. "I'm only stating my opinion on that Arcobaleno tutor of yours. As far as I'm concerned, the Vendice are all scum. If they try anything, I'll destroy them."

Tsuna only managed to stare at the blunt reply before sighing. "Don't be so quick to jump into things Xanxus-nii." He paused, gaze moving to the fire glowing in the fireplace beside them, considering whether or not to tell the scarred man the whole truth. It was obvious the man was still waiting for Tsuna to continue.

"I said a few things. Told him that I would trust them. That he didn't have any right to tell them they had to die. It was my fault, I suppose. Even if I did think that, I guess I shouldn't have said it out loud." He paused, left hand clenching. "He wanted… to kill me."

Tsuna's voice was soft, bordering on a whisper as those last five words floated into the open. The brunette immediately regretted them however as crimson eyes flared, fiery spark glinting like steel in them as the scars that had previously been resting calmly on the far left side of his face began to spread.

"What?" Xanxus' voice was dangerously soft and sharp as a razor, rage twisting and simmering just below the surface.

The brunette hastily shook his head, posture straightening. "Nothing, Xanxus-nii. I was exaggerating. Reborn was just really angry. Besides, he missed."

The scarred man simply ignored this, choosing instead to observe the teen in front of him, experienced eyes taking in the weary lines that formed the troubled frown on his forehead; the almost unnoticeable bags under them; the way his left hand clenched and unclenched in his lap in a familiar pattern that Xanxus knew only happened when the younger Mafioso was anxious. But most of all, he noticed the duller-than-usual eyes, eyes that typically shone with affection and warmth. Both were still there of course, but behind it, something ugly, almost dead, but definitely familiar and painfully so, was threatening to engulf the brightness once again.

And Xanxus understood. The breakout of the prisoners from Vendicare had taken a harder toll on the teen than any of them had realized.

Which was actually pretty damn stupid of them all. Promises of protection meant nothing if the one they had promised didn`t truly believe they could, or maybe even would, protect him when the time came.

And he knew it would come. Reborn was in fucking denial if he thought the matter could be resolved without bloodshed, without _some_ sort of confrontation. And the damn brat knew as well, probably knew better than any of them that, in the end, _something_ was going to happen, and it would doubtlessly be a pain in the ass to deal with.

Coupled with the fact that the stupid trash of a tutor had lost to his own emotions and piled an even greater burden on the brunette's shoulders and you had a recipe to revert the teen right back to the blank, emotionless, _goddamn_ _puppet_ he had been years ago.

Right. Rage was justified. Now he just had to hunt down said trash of a tutor.

Rising, he sent a fierce scowl at the brunette. "Sit your ass down," He growled, striding for the door. "Enough is enough. That damn baby's got to get it into that head of his that he just tried to kill his own student over his own problems. You're the goddamn _Decimo_. He's got no fucking right."

And with that, the man stormed out the door once again and Tsuna could almost feel the air pulsing with anger, itching to be released. For a moment, he considered running after the man. Getting on the wrong side of Xanxus was never a good idea. But it was Reborn after all.

And Xanxus wouldn't really kill him.

He hoped so anyway, but with Reborn so… unlike himself, so emotionally unhinged since the meeting, he didn't want to risk Reborn accidentally hurting Xanxus. With an exhausted sigh, the future Tenth rose from the armchair, slipping on his shoes again and, deciding to forego the paperwork for today, headed after the Varia boss.

**VARIA MANSION / TRAINING COMPLEX / PRESENT TIME**

Reborn stared absently at the bullet riddled targets in front of him, mind wandering. He hadn`t seen much of Tsuna since the meeting. The brunette had approached him several times but the hitman didn`t quite know what to say to his student. 'Sorry' might work but he had almost killed the teen. Perhaps distancing himself would be better for now. The Vendice were acting up, and when it came to the famed mafia prison guards, Reborn always seemed to lose control.

He was snapped out of his thoughts however when a blast of angry sky flames shot past his right ear, missing him only because he was fast enough in stepping aside. Calmly, he turned, onyx eyes focusing on stormy crimson. His gaze narrowed as he caught sight of the dark scars that had spread across the Varia leader's face.

"You wanted something, Xanxus?"

Reborn's voice was calm, level, which only furthered Xanxus' wrath. How _dare_ this scum look like he hadn`t done anything wrong? How _dare_ this _goddamn scum_ even _suggest_ that he didn't know what the Varia boss was there for?

_The bastard was just fucking _asking_ for it._

"You've got fucking nerve, scum." Xanxus' voice was low and harsh, guns leveled at the Arcobaleno as he felt familiar rage pulsing in the palm of his hand. "Are you _trying_ to change him back? He's got enough shit on his plate as it is! He doesn't need you to add more!"

Reborn stilled, eyes growing cold. "This has nothing to do with you Xanxus," He snapped back uncharacteristically. "So stay out of it. You don't kno–"

The baby hitman was cut off as another blast of sky flames hurtled towards him. He smoothly ducked out of the way and the flames slammed into the metal wall behind him with terrifying force.

"What don't I know?" Was the snarled reply. "You were the first person he knew after getting out of that place but _I've _known him for almost as long! He's told me just as much as he's told you about his past! Get your fucking emotions under control and stop throwing a goddamn tantrum like some five-year-old! The brat's more important than your goddamn grudge against those Vendice scum! Get the fuck over it! If you're fucking pissed at them for turning you into a baby and stealing your old life away, then fucking _cooperate _with them so you can get at least some of it back! You're not going to stay like that forever! There's a way to turn you back now so get your goddamn act together! I'll fucking kill you if you break him again!"

Xanxus had to pause in his rant as a hail of bullets sailed his way. Moving swiftly to the side, he returned fire with fire, flames of rage snaking across the room towards the Arcobaleno. His features twisted into a sneer as the hitman simply moved again, easily evading the attacks.

But it was Reborn's next words that made the Varia leader snap.

"You have no right to threaten me, Xanxus." Reborn threw back, emotions unleashed and wild as his shadow stretched and grew, reflecting the looming figure of the real man that was Reborn. "I've been helping Tsuna since he came to the Vongola. I've stuck by him and trained him and helped him through everything. But you on the other hand, what did _you_ do?" The Arcobaleno's eyes darkened further and his pacifier began to glow. His emotions screamed; he wanted to hurt someone, anyone, strike out at the closest target he could get to. "If I recall correctly, _you_ tried to kill him! Don't talk to me about hurting him! You don't _deserve_ his kindness. _You're just trash that the Ninth took pity on!_"

Crimson eyes widened as the words sank in, snaking into his throat and around his heart until he thought he would choke. The hands that held onto his guns tightened and shook with barely contained fury as the scars on his face deepened.

"YOU FUCKING SCUM!" The Varia leader roared, pupils dilating as he surged towards the Arcobaleno, suffocating rage and heart-wrenching pain mixing together and swirling around him with a vengeance. Xanxus could hear nothing save the rushing of blood in his ears as he fired wildly, eyes concentrated solely on eradicating the tiny hitman in front of him. Fire crashed against the metal walls of the training complex, threatening to make them fold and collapse.

Reborn was giving as good as he got. His pacifier was glowing as brightly as Xanxus' flames of rage, jagged lines of sun-classed deathperation flames streaking from it to the Varia leader. He didn't give an inch, thoughts only concentrating on the Vendice, and what they had done, and his frustration, and his resentment's howling desire to destroy all that was in his way so that the Vendice could pay him back all that they had taken away.

Neither noticed the training room's doors sliding open, or the horrified look in exhausted but pained brown eyes. The world had narrowed into a timeless space that contained nothing but Reborn and Xanxus and the urge to obliterate the other.

Tsuna took in the scene in front of him with shocked distress. He knew the two would be fighting, had expected nothing less, but not like _this_. Fire howled around the room, deathperation flames snarling and crashing against each other with killing intent.

And their faces. Tsuna could barely recognize their faces.

It had been a long, long, _long_ time since he had seen that sort of rage on Xanxus' face. The scars the Ninth had given him had stretched and spread to mar the man's handsome features, and crimson orbs burned in the raging expression.

Reborn was even worse. The usually calm, steady, neutral expression was gone, replaced by unbridled fury and the unrelenting storm of a hitman's desire to kill. Tsuna's eyes widened, terror twisting inside him as the sun flames pouring from his tutor's pacifier grew. At this rate…

The teen wasn't stupid. He had always had an uncanny ability to take in any fight in front of him and calculate all possible outcomes. But here, any idiot with half a brain could tell the result of this battle. Xanxus was powerful, dangerously so, but the rage closing around him like a vice was affecting his judgment. The strong bursts of flames erupting from the guns were only targeting the baby hitman's general area and that, Tsuna knew, would never be able to even singe Reborn.

On the other hand, the flames that shot out of the sun pacifier and towards Xanxus seemed to be following some sort of GPS system, aiming directly for the Varia boss. The hail of bullets coming from Leon wasn't helping matters either as Xanxus swerved from side to side, avoiding it all. But Reborn was more experienced, more knowledgeable when it came to taking down an opponent. And, like Tsuna had predicted, as Xanxus landed for a moment to avoid an especially large explosion above him, a streak of sun flames flashed across the room at a terrifying speed, aiming straight for Xanxus' chest.

But Tsuna was already moving. Before the Varia boss landed, before the deadly attack even began, before his mind could catch up and warn him that he had neither gloves nor box, before common sense could kick in and tell him that this was a very, _very_ bad idea, the brunette had already dove headfirst into the inferno, never realizing the possibility of death if he got caught in the middle of the two natural disasters he had thrown himself between. All he had was his resolve and Will, urging him forward to protect one of his precious people.

The Varia leader landed and knew, even through the haze of red-hot rage filling his vision, that he had just made a very bad, and possibly very fatal, mistake. He just managed to catch a streak of deathperation flames heading his way before his line of sight was blocked by something, _someone_, sliding in front of him and, a flash of a millisecond later, had slammed into him with enough force to send him stumbling back before thudding gracelessly onto the ground, guns clattering uselessly onto the floor and skittering away, his left arm already curling instinctively around the much smaller figure slumped against him.

Xanxus didn't know anyone could go from scorching fury to icy fear in the span of a second. Apparently, it _could_ happen because it _was_ happening. He swore his heart had stopped as he stared frozenly down at the motionless figure on top of him, eyes unable to tear away from the blossoming bright red spreading from the _fucking_ _hole_ in the back of the brunette's right shoulder.

He couldn't move. Hell, he couldn't even breathe. It was as if his brain had permanently shut down when Tsuna had been shot.

A few seconds later, the muffled sounds of hurrying footsteps drifted into the eerily silent room as the room's doors slid open once again.

"VOOOIII! WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON IN HERE! WHAT'S WITH ALL THE NOI–"

Xanxus didn't even have to look to know that his second-in-command had frozen to the spot, stormy grey eyes glued on the brunette he had wrapped clumsily in one arm.

"YOU DAMN BOSS!"

And then the white-haired captain was suddenly at his side, one skilled hand pressing a Varia uniform against the wound in front of him, and Xanxus didn't think he had ever been so grateful to see the swordsman in his life.

Squalo was seething inside. He and several of the other trashes in this place had heard the giant explosions coming from the training complex. When the blasts had finally gotten so loud that it practically shook the entire mansion and had become impossible to ignore, the strategy captain had finally stalked off to investigate, wondering who it was exactly that his boss had gotten so pissed off at. Never in a million years did he expect to find his boss on the ground looking like the world had ended and an unmoving Sawada Tsunayoshi slumped on top of him, blood visibly soaking into the white shirt the brunette was wearing.

"Don't just stand there! Get a fucking doctor, trash!" He roared at the absolutely _useless_ Guardians standing around him.

Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, it was Gokudera Hayato who jumped into action. The future right-hand man's face was almost white as he dropped to his knees beside Squalo.

"Sword freak!" The bomber snapped, all but tearing his shirt off before he too pressed said piece of clothing against the spreading blood. "Get that crazy homo and tell him to wait at the medical ward. His sun flames should be able to heal Jyuudaime. Go!"

Yamamoto only hesitated for a brief half second before turning and sprinting out of the room, tawny eyes a mixture of determination and fear.

"Turf top!" Gokudera's gaze turned to the boxer, sharp and drilling. "You can heal, right? Do something!"

The Sun Guardian was at his side in an instant, hands wavering for only a second before gloves made of sun flames appeared on them. Without a word, Ryohei placed them against the wound and slowly, agonizingly slowly, the deathperation flames sunk into the injury, slowing down the bleeding but not able to stop it.

"Squalo, can he be moved?"

The strategy captain glanced up at the floating illusionist. "In a moment." He answered curtly.

Mammon gave a semblance of a nod. "Bel and Levi's gone ahead to the medical ward. They'll be ready for him. Lussuria should be heading there right now as well."

Squalo nodded silently in reply, his steely grey eyes finally moving up to study his boss. Xanxus finally seemed to have regained at least a portion of his brain function and was now shifting the brunette in his lap so that the injury wouldn't have as much strain placed on it. It seemed to help because the leaking blood slowed a little more.

Glancing at the injury once more and satisfied that it couldn't suddenly get any worse, the swordsman let his gaze drift across the room and focus on a certain forgotten hitman. The Arcobaleno's pet chameleon was still in gun form, hanging limply in Reborn's hand, while the previously glowing sun pacifier was now dull and dark. Onyx eyes revealed nothing but shock, and in any other situation, Squalo would have found it funny that the best hitman in the world looked absolutely stunned.

"Squalo."

The voice snapped him out of his observations and he focused on the Mist Arcobaleno again.

Viper's voice was tight with tension as he spoke. "I'll deal with Reborn. You get Tsunayoshi to the medical ward."

Squalo released an inaudible sigh as he turned back to the brunette. "Damn boss." He snapped, and was actually relieved when crimson eyes snapped up to give him some semblance of a glare. "You carry him. We need to get him to the medical ward."

Xanxus' features tightened but refrained from lashing out. Now was not the time. Without a word, he eased his arms under the still brunette, gently turning him over so that the wound wouldn't be jostled. The brat's Sun Guardian slowly eased his sun flames back, breathing heavily from the effort, sweat beading his forehead as he sat back on his heels.

'_He can't even stop the bleeding. Trash.'_ His mind whispered.

'_Not as much as you.'_ His heart told him.

Rising almost unsteadily, he turned and headed for the door, loping pace even. All thoughts of his previous opponent never even registered in his head as he left the training room, Squalo scooping up his guns before following, and the bomber scum at his heels. After a moment, he heard the boxer struggle to his feet and hurry after them.

As the training room doors slid shut, Viper slowly turned to the motionless Sun Arcobaleno across the room.

"You are an idiot." He remarked, drifting closer. The hitman didn't move, didn't show any signs that he had heard.

Viper's hidden features tightened even further, but he forced himself not to strike out at Reborn.

"Did it ever occur to you," The illusionist started slowly. "That you are taking out your resentment for the Vendice on people who don't really know the whole truth surrounding the Arcobaleno? Tsunayoshi knows a little more now after the meeting but that still doesn't give you any right to lash out at him." He paused, expression darkening. "And trying to kill _my_ bosses. You may be a freelance assassin Reborn, but I'm part of the Varia, and that, by default, makes me part of the Vongola. You can see why I'm really angry at you. That's got to be some kind of new record, even for you, attempting to take out two bosses at the same time."

This snapped Reborn out of his daze. "Tsuna got in the way." He snapped, voice tight. "I didn't shoot him on purpose."

"So it's _his_ fault?" The disbelief was clear in the Mist Arcobaleno's voice. "This isn't like you, Reborn, making excuses like this. You know Tsunayoshi; he'd die before letting any of us get hurt."

The fedora-wearing hitman didn't reply, opting instead to concentrate on placing Leon back on the rim of his fedora.

"You're not the only one who resents the Vendice for what they've done." Viper floated downward, trying to catch the hitman's gaze. "Do you think I want to live a baby for generations to come? But this is a chance to turn back to our true forms. All we have to do is put aside our pride. Yes, we've lost quite a few things by becoming Arcobaleno. Most people we used to know have all shied away from us, shunning us for what we've become. But we've also gained a place to call home."

Viper almost snarled when the Sun Arcobaleno _still_ didn't look at him. With an annoyed huff, he turned and floated away. "Call me a sap," He called from the doors. "But Vongola, no, Sawada Tsunayoshi, has given us a place to call home. He's never seen us as vessels, always welcomed us with a smile. And out of all of us, even you can see that he treasures you the most. But I promise you, Reborn: if you let your hatred and resentment of the Vendice take control and end up breaking _my future boss_, I will never forgive you."

With that said, the doors slid shut, leaving Reborn alone, emotions stormy. He let out an uncharacteristic sigh, heavy and guilt-ridden, and sank to the ground, staring dazedly at the half-destroyed ceiling above him.

'_What have I done?'_

**VARIA MANSION / MEDICAL WARD / HALF AN HOUR LATER**

"How is he?"

Lussuria had finally come out of the room that held Tsuna after what seemed like an eternity. He had immediately been bombarded by questions left, right, and centre, but it was his boss' voice, dark and demanding, that cut above everyone else's.

Smiling softly at the brooding Varia boss, he nodded reassuringly. "No need to worry anymore! Tsuna-chan will be fine. It's lucky that it was sun-classed flames that hit him. That made healing him easier. He's woken up too. He'll feel a little weak but he can get up any time and go about his normal business as long as he doesn't strain himself."

The entire room's occupants released a collective sigh of relief. Without a word, Xanxus pushed off the wall he had been leaning on and, ignoring everyone else, strode forward, pushed past his smiling Sun Guardian, and disappeared into the room.

"Oi!" Gokudera was already on his feet, glaring and about to move forward. "Why does he get to go in first? The bastard almost got Jyuudaime killed!"

"Voooiii!" Squalo snapped, waving his sword and almost lopping off a few heads around him. "Shut up and wait! That damn boss needs to see Tsunino right now! Don't interfere!"

Needless to say, the room soon descended into chaos as arguments and fights sprang up between the two sets of Guardians.

As Xanxus stepped inside the room, his gaze immediately landed on the brunette, eyes already focusing on his right shoulder.

"You aren't hurt are you, Xanxus-nii?"

Crimson eyes snapped up to meet soft brown orbs and he glared furiously at their owner, fists unconsciously clenching. "Of course not, because someone was being a goddamn moron again!"

The brunette's mouth pulled into a frown. "You would've died if I hadn't stepped in. Reborn was… completely out of control."

Xanxus' features tightened and, after a moment, moved forward and lowered himself into the chair beside the occupied bed.

Expression tense, the scarred man stared obstinately at the blindingly white blankets for a long moment before clearing his throat uncomfortably. Drawing in a short breath, he visibly steeled himself and looked up again, this time directly into the teen's patient eyes.

"I'm… sorry."

The words were curt, hesitant, forced out, and Xanxus knew they sounded nowhere near as sincere as one of those heartfelt apologies he sometimes caught when walking the streets of Italy. Dropping his gaze once more and silently cursing his pride, he tried again, silently reminding himself that he had almost gotten the brunette killed.

Again.

"Apology accepted."

The Varia leader froze for a brief second before slowly moving his crimson gaze onto the teen again. As expected, Tsuna was smiling warmly at him, not a single hint of disapproval or blame in his features.

"Apology accepted," Tsuna repeated, smiling softly at the almost startled expression on the man's face. He didn't really blame the other Sky Guardian but his intuition told him that the man would be hurt and more than a little offended if he voiced this out loud. So he took the apology in stride, knowing how hard it actually was for the prideful man to express regret. He paused for a moment before forging on. "But you haven't gotten so angry in a long time now. What did Reborn say?"

Immediately, anger flared on the Varia boss' face, but again, faced with those affectionate caramel eyes, always so expressive, he found his anger pulling back as he caught sight of something soothing in them, calming the rage blazing inside him.

"Not important," He muttered after a while, eyes still drawn to the brunette's. "It was an old insult."

Tsuna frowned thoughtfully. "I think I can guess what he said then, or at least along the lines of." He peered anxiously at the raven-haired hitman. "But you're okay now, right?"

Xanxus released a sharp breath before nodding slowly, knowing Tsuna wanted a proper answer. "Yeah. I just… forgot, momentarily, during the fight. But I know," His shoulders slowly losing their tension in the brunette's presence. "What he said isn't true."

Tsuna brightened, genuine smile dancing on his face. "Good." He beamed. "Just so long as you know."

The Varia boss released another sigh, this time a much more exasperated one. "Only you would make sure someone else is okay after waking up in a hospital bed."

Tsuna only grinned, catching the tinge of affection underlying the words.

"No harm done, Xanxus-nii." He voiced cheerfully. "Lussuria-nii patched me up really well."

Xanxus nodded but neither had anymore time to talk as the door burst open.

"Jyuudaime!"

A frantic silver-haired bomber skidded into the room, green eyes wide with worry.

"Jyuudaime! Are you okay?"

Tsuna managed a reassuring smile and a firm nod before Squalo stormed into the room, long white hair streaming behind him.

"Voooiii!" He snarled, sword slashing through the air. "I thought I told you to wait!"

"Maa, maa," A smiling Yamamoto strode in after the Sword Emperor, searching eyes immediately scanning Tsuna to make sure no visible wounds were left. His features relaxed when the brunette directed the same reassuring smile he had sent Gokudera at him. "Gokudera's just worried."

"Sawada!"

Tsuna turned as his Sun Guardian all but leapt through the door, frown marring his features. His smile widened. "Arigato, Ryohei-sempai. I heard from Lussuria-nii that you did a really good job keeping the bleeding down to a minimum before he got there."

He craned his head around to gaze at the room's other occupants as more people filed in. "Thank you to the rest of you too. You guys really reacted fast to the situation."

"A-ano," Chrome was hovering at the end of his bed anxiously. "Gomen, boss. I couldn't get there in time."

Tsuna sent a warm smile at the female illusionist. "You were taking care of the kids. Don't worry about it. You came as fast as you could. Kyoko-chan's looking after them now, right?"

The girl's features relaxed as she nodded. "Your Cloud Guardian was here momentarily but he left soon after. Mukuro-nii was here too but he, Ken, and Chikusa went to find Reborn-san after they heard you woke up I think."

Tsuna's eyes widened in alarm before he threw back his blankets and struggled to his feet. Immediately, voices roared in protest around him.

"Jyuudaime! I insist! You have to stay in bed!"

"Tsuna, I don't think getting up right now is a good idea."

"Sawada! Don't do anything extreme just yet!"

"Boss, I-I didn't mean that Mukuro-nii would actually do anything! I'm sure he won't do anything too violent."

"Voooiii! Get back in bed, brat!"

"You're going to give your peasant Storm Guardian a hernia if you get up now, Tsunino."

"The boss won't be happy if you do anything to strain yourself."

"If you collapse, I'll charge you ten times my current pay for forcing me to pay Bel to drag you back."

"Tsuna-chan! I already told you not to strain yourself!"

"Hey, scum," The dark voice cut through the babble of noise, effectively lowering the noise level. "Shut up."

Tsuna blinked as Xanxus focused on him again. He yelped when the man suddenly dove in and scooped him up, carrying him bridal-style as he strode to the door.

"W-wait! Xanxus-nii! What are you doing?"

The raven-haired hitman gave him an impatient look. "Are you going to stay in the damn bed if I tell you to?"

The brunette flushed. "Well, no, but–"

"Exactly."

And, without another word, the Varia leader strode out of the room, heading for the training complex again, a scowling future Tenth in his arms.

**VARIA MANSION / TRAINING COMPLEX / PRESENT TIME**

"Arcobaleno."

Mukuro's voice, usually laced with amusement, was now cold and distinctly tinged with venom. Beside him on either side stood Chikusa and Ken, both wearing matching frowns.

Reborn tilted his fedora up, meeting the illusionist's mismatched gaze evenly.

The Mist Guardian tilted his head, staring down at the baby hitman. "I don't believe you understand yet so I'll be generous enough to explain it to you. Possessing dead bodies is troublesome and Tsunayoshi-kun dying does not go well with my plans at all." Glittering eyes narrowed. "Please refrain yourself from destroying what will eventually be mine in the future."

Reborn's onyx eyes sharpened, staring back unblinkingly. "I don't know who you think you are, but if you think I'll let you lay a finger on my student, you–"

"Mukuro-san!"

All four of the room's occupants turned to the doors as they slid open, revealing a glaring Xanxus setting the future Decimo on the ground.

Tsuna moved as quickly as he was currently able to into the room, placing a placating hand on the taller bluenette's shoulder.

"I'm fine now, Mukuro-san." He said softly, brown eyes reassuring. "But I have to talk to Reborn alone for a bit. There will be guests arriving soon. Do me a favor and wait for them?"

Mukuro stilled for a moment, expression blank for a heartbeat longer before a lazy smirk resurfaced on his face.

"Very well, Tsunayoshi-kun," He drawled, withdrawing the trident he had been holding almost threateningly earlier. "But I get to give these guests of yours a proper greeting in return."

Tsuna sighed exasperatedly before giving a wary nod. "Okay, but nothing too drastic."

Mukuro's smirk only grew as he turned with Chikusa and Ken and headed for the door. "I have no idea what you're talking about. If I didn't know better, I would even be inclined to believe that you were implying that my greeting will be quite… traumatizing."

Tsuna couldn't quite hold back the smile and he stared ruefully after the illusionist. His eyes met Xanxus' momentarily and the Varia boss gave a curt nod before disappearing from view, doors sliding close behind him.

And then it was just the two of them.

A stifling silence fell, tense and awkward. Tsuna slowly turned to the so far silent Arcobaleno, gaze flitting nervously at the ground between them.

"I'm sorry."

Tsuna blinked, startled by the quiet admission. He could count on one hand the number of times Reborn had sincerely apologized to anyone and still have fingers to spare. Hesitantly, he raised his eyes to meet onyx, and almost took an involuntary step back. Reborn had removed his fedora, letting loose messy hair as well as lifting the shadow that the brim usually cast over his eyes, and raw, unguarded emotions swirled in their midnight depths.

Rage.

Frustration.

Exhaustion.

Pain.

Fear.

Regret.

"I'm sorry," Reborn repeated steadily, gaze never wavering from his student's frozen expression. "I didn't mean to shoot you after the meeting. I didn't mean to hurt you today. I didn't mean to lash out at Xanxus either. I let my emotions get the better of me and you both paid for it. I'm sorry."

For a long, deathly silent moment, the brunette only stared back at him and Reborn felt a sharp pain stab at his heart.

What if his student didn't forgive him? He'd have every right to stay angry.

But what if Tsuna was _afraid_ of him? The teen had never been…

Anger he could take.

Hatred he could take. Barely.

But fear. If Tsuna was scared of him… But Tsuna had never been–

A hand running soothingly through his hair snapped him out of his inner turmoil, bringing his focus back to the brunette now crouching in front of him. His eyes widened ever so slightly as he saw the half-scowl, half-smile on his student's face.

Tsuna huffed out a breath. "You should be," He told the hitman sternly, even as his hand absently tried to pat down the wild locks Reborn called hair. "You should be very sorry for being an idiot when there was no need to be in the first place."

Reborn's shoulders didn't relax as he stared back at the teen, confusion evident in his gaze.

Tsuna sighed, retracting his hand and let the reproach dissipate from his voice. "And you are. Sorry, I mean. So I forgive you. But you had better apologize to Xanxus-nii as well. What you said was pretty cruel."

The baby hitman barely registered any of the words after 'I forgive you'.

"Forgive–?" His voice, strangely rough, echoed off the walls. "But I _shot_–" A harsh swallow broke the sentence as the hitman seemed to momentarily lose the power of speech. "Just like that?"

Tsuna watched him thoughtfully for a heartbeat before giving a nod. "Yeah," He confirmed, features finally relaxing. "And apologize to Xanxus-nii."

Onyx eyes blinked before a nod was given, albeit in a slightly dazed manner.

Tsuna watched his tutor for a moment before sighing again and finally settling on the metal floor of the training room.

"I'm still going through with it though."

A stiff pause. "I know."

"Nothing you say will stop me. I've made up my mind."

Another pause and a short, wry chuckle broke out. "I know."

"…But you're still important to me."

And this time, the short pause that followed this statement became warmer, more companionable, and much, much more familiar. "I know."

And Tsuna knew he did.

**VARIA MANSION / MAIN COURTYARD / PRESENT TIME / ONE HOUR LATER**

"That damn scum still came."

Tsuna tried very hard to keep a straight face as Xanxus glared at the two black cars that steered its way up to the Varia Mansion's front steps. Needless to say, he failed miserably, grin breaking out as he watched Dino roll down one window, leaning out to wave cheerfully at them. Xanxus' glare only grew darker.

As the first car finally pulled to a stop in front of them, the driver got out and opened one of the passenger doors, and Dino stepped out only to quickly duck back in as Squalo's sword tried to take off his head.

"Voooiii!" The swordsman glowered at the still grinning blond. "Boss said not to come!"

A blinding grin was the shark's answer as Dino finally managed to step out of his car, Romario quickly coming around to stand beside him.

Before the blond blurted out something that would probably cause another fight to break out, Tsuna quickly stepped forward, beaming up at the Italian.

"Long time no see, Dino-nii!"

Dino immediately brightened even further, swooping forward to gather the tiny brunette into a tight hug.

"Tsuna!"

Completely ignoring the death glares sent his way, the Chiavarone boss pulled back from the hug, grinning indulgently at the teen. "I've missed you! I heard you've been to Japan? You should have told your Dino-nii about it! What if something happened? No one would've been able to help you!"

"Voooiii!" Squalo waved his sword in the arm, this time reluctantly keeping it away from the blond Italian since Tsuna was still too close. "Something _did_ happen and _we_ helped the brat! As if he needed a hospitalized accident-prone nutcase to help him!"

Tsuna sweatdropped as Dino finally pulled away completely, smile finally dropping a notch as he scowled back at the swordsman.

"For your information," The boss snapped back haughtily. "The enemy got in a lucky hit. They snuck up on me from behind."

Squalo, positively delighted at finally having someone to exchange blows with, barked back, "A _real_ Mafioso wouldn't let anyone sneak up from behind! You're getting even weaker if you're making up excuses like that!"

Dino opened his mouth to retort, only to be interrupted by an earth-shaking explosion. All heads snapped around to stare at what used to be a car; in its place was now a large burning pile of melting metal and, as the noise of the explosion died down, the silence that followed was broken by a horrified shriek.

"My car!"

Dino's driver looked ready to burst into tears before he promptly turned to his Boss.

"This!" He wailed in Italian, wildly waving one hand at the wreckage behind him. "This is–!" A deep breath. "Boss, I love ya, and I'd follow ya to the ends of the earth and back but–!" Again, hands waved frantically in the air, as the driver glared tearfully at Dino. "This is too much! Every time we come 'ere, ya manage to piss _someone_ off and ka-boom! There goes another 8000 euros!"

Dino at least had the proper grace to look sheepish. "Sorry, I'll replace it, don't worry."

Tsuna, who had been watching the familiar drama unfold, reached out and tugged at the Varia boss' sleeve.

"Xanxus-nii," He watched the Varia leader reproachfully as the man did nothing to hide the fact that he had blown up someone else's car, lowering his gun almost lazily. "You're paying for the car."

The brunette suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a scowl and, without blinking, scowled right back, frowning disapprovingly back at the sender.

Finally, crimson eyes blinked and narrowed, irritated. "We'll see." He grunted.

Tsuna smiled, satisfied. "Don't worry," He reassured the sorrowful-looking driver. "Xanxus-nii will pay for it."

The driver suddenly looked a lot brighter. "Thanks, Decimo. Your kindness knows no bounds, unlike our Boss, who likes to see his subordinates suffer."

Tsuna smiled hesitantly as Dino looked miffed. Romario finally stepped in before anything else could happen, like having the heads of the nearby statues ripped off and used as baseballs. It could happen; after all, it did last time.

"Boss," He addressed the blond standing in front of him. "Wasn't there something you found on your way here?"

"Ah!" Dino's features finally settled into something calmer, more boss-like.

"Tsuna, Xanxus, I found someone on the side of the road while we were driving here." He turned, motioning at the second car and Romario took his cue, quickly moving away to open the second car's passenger door.

Tsuna tilted his head curiously as Xanxus' eyes narrowed.

The door opened and out stepped a tall, lithely built, Italian. Tsuna blinked, eyes immediately drawn to the shock of wild red hair on the man's head.

"He claims not to remember anything except his name and the word 'Vongola' so I figured I'd bring him along." Dino explained quietly.

Tsuna quickly took in the cuts and bruises marring the man's skin before finally raising his gaze to meet intense emerald eyes glinting back at him.

"What's your name?" The brunette took a step forward, voice clear.

The man's expression didn't shift for a long moment, seemingly appraising the teen in front of him. Tsuna felt Xanxus stiffen ever so slightly behind him as the depth in the stranger's green eyes seemed to deepen.

At last, a lazy, charismatic smile slowly meandered its way across the redhead's face, charm and grace flawlessly expressed in that one move.

"Volpino."

The man's voice came out in a musical timbre, bright and mischievous.

"Volpino Aldarez. It's very nice to meet you."

**All done! This was really long and, as I said before, really hard to write, but I hope you enjoy it!**

**Please review!**


	5. Meetings With Bosses

**Disclaimer: I do not own any KHR characters…**

**Thank you all for the reviews! I can't believe I already have over 100!**

**Starting from this chapter, the 'past stories' at the beginning will mostly focus on the Vendice.**

**It's winter break coming up so I'm hoping to get at least one more chapter after this one up before it's over. Hope everyone will enjoy this next one!**

**Chapter 5 – Meetings with Bosses**

**JAPAN, TEN GENERATIONS AGO**

Puffs of smoke formed and dissipated as Rui trudged through the winter cold, hands buried in the pockets of his threadbare muddy coat and chin tucked down into an almost nonexistent collar, all the while ignoring the familiar icy numbness that hugged his feet as melted snow seeped into his worn-down boots.

Soon, soft murmurs reached his ears and he glanced up, weary green eyes taking in the handful of people scattered around the market stalls, haggling over price, commenting about the dreary weather; meaningless chatter to fill the otherwise dead silence.

A sudden gust of wind that sent icy needles straight to his bones hurried Rui forward again and, without stopping to greet anyone, slipped in front of a battered-looking stall, picking out the near-stale bread and day-old vegetables he needed to survive another week and carefully placing them in the sack he had stuffed into his jacket beforehand. Shifting the food into one arm, he dug into his pocket for the meager coins he had managed to scrounge up this week while working odd jobs around town. The metal pieces clinked hollowly together as he dropped them into the waiting merchant's meaty hand, thinking, not for the first time, if he could just make a run for it without paying.

Then, mentally shaking his head and avoiding the merchant's beady eyes, Rui turned, intending to head back in the direction he had come from. But as he did so, his eyes caught and lingered for a flash of a second on the tough-looking meat hanging from a different stall, and a mouthwatering sort of longing filled his stomach.

This short moment of distraction proved to be fatal however as rapid footsteps approached him from behind and knocked him to the side, causing his elbow to catch the edge of one of the hastily made bamboo-woven baskets that held a bundle of corn. The basket, corn and all, tumbled to the ground, scattering over the snow-covered ground.

The merchant was on him in an instant, slamming him against one of the wooden pillars that held up the stall, causing the whole structure to shudder dangerously. Dimly, even as his sack of food thudded to the ground, Rui wondered how someone so disgustingly fat could move so quickly. That thought soon faded though as the beefy hand clasped around his throat tightened, making him wheeze as his own work-callused hands automatically came up to try and pry the fingers away.

"Ya tryin' ta run me outta business, boy?" The merchant hissed, cruel triumph glittering in his eyes. "How're ya gonna pay for my precious stock, huh?"

Rui twisted in the man's hold, gasping for breath. "A-accident," He choked out. "Didn't-didn't mean it!"

The hand tightened even further and the sixteen-year-old found his vision blurring, darkness creeping in at the edges.

"Didn't mean it?" He heard the merchant sneer. "Ya think dat's gonna gimme back my goods? Yur gonna pay me back every–"

His assailant stopped abruptly just as Rui opened his mouth to promise he would work it off any way he could, and crumpled to the dirty frozen ground as the restricting hand released him. Coughing and gasping for breath as he sucked frigid air back into starved lungs, his ears caught the sound of the merchant's angry curses, and he looked up, massaging his bruising throat, as the angry tirade was efficiently cut off by a quiet voice sounding somewhere out of his immediate line of sight.

"I'm sorry," Rui blinked at the polite tone. "It was my fault he knocked your merchandise to the ground. Please accept my fullest apologies. I will pay for the damaged goods."

Rui's eyes widened as he caught sight of a ten thousand yen bill being pressed into the man's grubby hands. The merchant himself looked floored before he hastily tucked the bill away, as if afraid the stranger would change his mind. The teen on the ground stiffened though when beady eyes turned back to him.

"Get outta my sight, boy." The man grumbled before shuffling back to his stall.

"Are you okay?"

Green eyes darted back to the stranger now peering down at him. Rui's eyes widened as he took in his savior's foreign appearance, blinking in surprise at the soft messy blond hair and amber eyes that he swore were made of molten gold.

He was startled out of his observations though when a slender pale hand stretched down towards him.

"Are you hurt?" The stranger repeated, and Rui only noticed then that the teen, for that was what he was since there was no way the person in front of him could be more than a year older than he was at most, had a slight, lilting accent in his speech, which struck home the fact that a foreigner, a _rich_ foreigner at that, had appeared in his dingy little shithole of a town and, instead of walking right through and ignoring the grime and dirt while holding a handkerchief to his nose, had stopped and helped him. Which he didn't have to do _at all_ because…

"You're not the one who bumped into me." Rui voiced slowly, warily eyeing the hand and making no move to take it. "What do you want?"

The stranger frowned slightly before extending his hand further. "I do not want anything," The blond replied, still in that cultured, polite tone, though Rui detected that it now held a note of warmth, something that had previously been missing when he was talking to the merchant. "Can you stand?"

Finally, still hesitant, Rui reached out and grasped the other teen's proffered hand, letting the blond help him up.

"Thank you." He muttered gruffly, consciously trying to brush the snow off his coat while simultaneously straightening and tugging at the fraying edges so that he might look a bit more presentable.

The stranger once again interrupted his thoughts as the bag carrying his food was presented to him. Rui flushed, quickly reaching out and snatching the grungy sack, then immediately regretting the action as he realized how rude he must have seemed, even for people like him, much less for someone like the other teen.

A chuckle cut off his rampant thoughts yet again though and he glanced up, the frown that had been marring his features deepening in confusion as he caught sight of the amusement-tinged smile on the blond's face, amber eyes brightening with laughter.

"I am a foreigner, not a monster," The teen stated gently, tone joking. "Please do not look so nervous. I feel like I am doing… anything… not right?"

Rui blinked, taken aback at the strange way the foreigner had worded his last words. Even for a polite, high-status person, you wouldn't say…

A sheepish laugh unexpectedly broke out, dancing and light, filling the normally void atmosphere of his town like a shower of fireworks spreading across the night sky, and Rui suddenly felt a lot less awkward as the stranger ran a hand through his already messy locks, features tinged with embarrassment.

"Sorry," The blond offered, grin still slightly mortified. "I am still working on my Japanese. I suppose it is not bad but I am still far from fluent. A Japanese friend of mine has been… learning me and I am… bettering?"

Rui bit his lip, struggling not to let his amusement show, but the other teen seemed to notice and grinned back at him.

"Go ahead and laugh," The blond told him, shaking his head. "Even my friend cannot help it sometimes, and he is the nicest one of our group."

Finally relaxing, Rui let the grin he had been holding back surface, feeling the tension seep away and, for the first time in quite a while, he felt a lightness spread throughout his body, easing some of the bone-deep exhaustion that had plagued him for the past several months.

"Do you want to go for some tea and maybe some food?"

The sudden question made Rui stiffen in surprise before he registered the warm, easy smile.

"You look a bit cold," The blond observed. "And I am hungry. I would also like some company for my meal. It has been a long trip from Italy. If you join me, I will… treat you?"

Here, a questioning look washed over the blond's features, and Rui found himself nodding, both to the offer and to the wording of the stranger's last sentence.

Clutching his sack to himself, he followed the blond to the busier parts of the town, offering after a few peaceful moments of silence, "I'm Rui," Green eyes tracked the slightly taller blond's nod of acknowledgement before venturing tentatively, "And you are?"

The stranger smiled again, expression untroubled.

"I am half Japanese, actually." He explained. "So here, I suppose I am called Ieyatsu. Sawada Ieyatsu."

Ten minutes later, both were seated at a wooden table, respective hands wrapped around a cup of hot tea. The owner of the establishment had frowned at Rui's scruffy state and opened his mouth to refuse them, but Ieyatsu had stepped forward, smile pleasant, asking for a table for two before anyone could say anything, and Rui had caught _something_ in those amber fire depths, something dark and dangerous, wrapped so well in stern disapproval that he would've missed it if Ieyatsu hadn't unfurled that disapproval for a split second. The restaurant's owner had seen it as well, and had quickly bowed them in, ushering them to the nearest available table, avoiding the blond's eyes all the way.

Surprisingly, Rui couldn't quite bring himself to feel wary again. Something about the foreigner just simply put him at ease and he took a sip of tea before another thought struck him.

"Earlier," He started hesitantly, wondering if the blond would feel insulted. "You said it was your fault that I knocked over the corn, but it wasn't. You didn't have to lie."

Ieyatsu smiled over the rim of his cup. "I was not lying," He denied. "The man who bumped into you had been trying to steal my wallet, and when I caught him doing so, he ran, bumping into you as he did. Indirectly, it was my fault."

Rui stared, blinking before snorting. "How was that your fault?" He demanded. "You were going to get robbed! And you didn't send the thief in my direction."

He pulled back slightly, flushing slightly in embarrassment. He hadn't talked so bluntly, so like himself, to anyone for longer than he could remember.

But Ieyatsu just chuckled. "I suppose so, but you were in trouble either way, so I had to step in."

Rui frowned before mumbling behind his teacup, "People don't do that." He scowled. "Everyone helps themselves. It's hard enough as it is."

The blond's smile faded and Rui's frown deepened as he realized the other teen's features just looked… _wrong_ without a smile.

"That is wrong," Ieyatsu voiced simply. "When someone is in… problem, I believe we should help them."

Rui's brow smoothed out. "Trouble," He corrected hesitantly, gauging the other's expression. "Trouble, not problem."

The blond dipped his head, mouth curling up again. "Trouble, I mean."

Rui let a slight smile crease his face before thinking about Ieyatsu's words.

"People don't think like you." He muttered after a while. "Helping others don't really fit into their agendas, especially with all the assassins and hitmen running around killing people."

Ieyatsu nodded, amber eyes somber. "I know. I will change that."

Startled, Rui tilted his head, observing the teen's quiet, calm demeanor. Those words were said with so much confidence, so much conviction, that he found himself believing them almost instantly.

"How?" He asked after a contemplating moment.

Something akin to pride flitted into Ieyatsu's features. "My friends and I have formed a group," He started carefully, as if this was something he didn't want his language barrier to hinder. "A vigilante group of sorts. We are just starting, but we want to help keep the civilians safe from all that."

Green eyes widened unconsciously, before Rui blurted out, "How old are you?"

The answer was immediate, as if the blond had been expecting it. "Seventeen, but it does not matter how young we are. If we try, we can do it. We will do it."

The quiet confidence was back again, shining and fierce, and Rui gulped at the force of the blond's determination. Before either of them could say anything more however, two steaming bowls of beef udon was placed in front of them and Rui barely managed a quick 'itadakimasu' before digging in, hunger overpowering his desire to be polite. Besides, Ieyatsu didn't seem to mind, starting on his food almost as enthusiastically as he did.

For a while, neither attempted conversation as the food was consumed. Rui was distantly aware of more food arriving but didn't stop to watch. He simply didn't waste any of it; who knew when he would be able to eat so well again?

Finally glancing up as he swallowed one last dumpling, he instantly froze, scanning the many plates and bowls now completely empty scattered in front of him, taking up most of the table space. Slowly, his gaze turned to the opposite side, noting the singular bowl stationed in front of his companion, the chopsticks neatly stacked on top. Green eyes trailed upward, finally taking in the fact that Ieyatsu was sitting quietly, hands folded in front of him atop the wooden table, amber gaze focused thoughtfully at the snow falling lightly outside.

Rui felt a dull flush spread upward, feeling a flash of relief that his brown hair was at least long enough to cover his no doubt reddened ears.

"Rui?"

His head jerked up, before lowering his head and staring determinedly at a scratch in the wooden table.

"Is something wrong? Was the food not good?"

The sixteen-year-old almost slapped himself. Of all the people he had to leach off of, it had to be someone who possessed the heart of a saint.

"Sorry," He mumbled quickly. "I didn't mean to eat so much."

Embarrassed shame quickly turned to confusion though as the blond laughed, soft and reassuring.

"I did say I would treat you, did I not?"

Rui slowly raised his head, blinking back at the blond.

Ieyatsu only smiled. "I was the one who ordered all the food. Do not worry," He voiced cheerfully. "I have enough money."

Rui only frowned. "Still," He muttered. "I shouldn't have–"

He was cut off by a warm hand dropping onto his shoulder, and he sent the blond a startled look. The teen smiled again, shaking his head.

"I am treating a friend to a meal," He said firmly. "Please do not feel like you have to hold back."

Rui openly gaped as the hand withdrew. Friend? Since when did they become friends?

But the blond only turned and called for more tea, and Rui sighed, letting the matter go.

Saint indeed.

Nursing his new cup of tea, a thought struck him and, after a moment's hesitation, he forged on, "Earlier, when you were talking to that merchant, your Japanese was flawless, even though some of the words were more difficult, but you didn't even stutter."

Surprised amber gazed back at him for a moment before another laugh filled the air. "You are very… observant," Ieyatsu said warmly. "Usually, when one has been choked, that would be the last thing you would notice."

Here he paused, expression turning wry. "I have a friend, G," The blond continued. "He is rather… hotheaded and gets into fights, both verbal and physical, with another friend of mine, the Japanese one I mentioned earlier, Ugetsu. They are complete… opposites and, even though he is very kind, G always seems to take offense one way or the other, even though Ugetsu only laughs at G's insults. I cannot take them anywhere without some fight breaking out, and usually, I am the one paying for the damage." Rueful amusement filled the line of his mouth. "I have memorized what I said to the merchant in thirteen different languages. We travel a lot and I need that speech in my… arsenal, just in case."

Rui stared before unfamiliar laughter bubbled up in his throat and finally out into the open. "Sounds like you have troublesome friends," He voiced, a lingering grin still mutinously fixed on his features.

Ieyatsu grinned back. "But I love them anyway," He offered, affection clear in his tone. "I don't know what I'd do without them."

Rui's smile faded as he wondered if all foreigners spoke this way, so blatantly open with their emotions, or if it was just this teen. Wistfulness filtered into his thoughts. The blond's friends were lucky to have someone who so obviously cherished them so much.

"When you said you would protect the civilians," Rui suddenly remembered. "You'll really do it? I mean it would be really hard."

Ieyatsu nodded, firm in his decision. "It will be hard. It _is_ hard, and most times, there is danger in what we do. But we will do it nonetheless." The blond studied him, eyes suddenly turning sharp. "When you want something to change, you must do it yourself, or nothing will happen. I think all this needless killing is wrong, so I will change it. No matter how hard or how dangerous it is. I think this is the right course of action, so I will follow through with it to the very end."

Rui felt, for the first time since his parents had left him six long years ago, a grudging respect flare in his heart. Hearing the resolve in the blond's voice and _seeing_ it in those molten gold eyes, he had no doubt the blond would be able to accomplish what he had set out to do.

Another hour of more casual small talk later and the two were on their way back to the market stalls. Rui was carrying his sack, as well as three large cartons of food from the restaurant. In the end, Ieyatsu had insisted on buying some more food for him to take home, since he had kept him company throughout the meal. Rui had finally given up trying to persuade the blond to do otherwise as the taller teen had simply ignored him and proceeded to order some of the foods he had found most delicious during the meal.

He wasn't the only observant one here apparently.

As they neared the market, Rui turned, suddenly feeling a wave of melancholy wash over him as he realized they would now be parting. He couldn't really find it in himself to feel surprised that he had taken a liking to Ieyatsu.

The blond, sensing his mood, smiled, clapping him lightly on the shoulder. "Perhaps we will meet again." He offered quietly. "And even if we don't, we've met each other now so we won't forget this first meeting." The smile widened, even as his gaze sharpened. "The first time you meet someone is always the most important, because now you are a part of their memories and, no matter what you do from now on or where you go, you will always be a part of that person's thoughts, perhaps buried under other memories, but never truly forgotten. Although," The blond's gaze warmed. "I like you, so I won't forget you."

Rui flushed again, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. "Probably won't forget you either," He retorted after a moment. "'The blond emotional foreigner still working on his Japanese with troublesome friends.' You'll come up when I want a good laugh."

Ieyatsu laughed at this, Rui following a second later. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so much.

Finally, the blond raised a hand, small smile tilting his lips. "Goodbye then," He said lightly. "If our paths do not cross again, then I wish you all the best in everything you do from now on."

Rui nodded, smiling as well. "You as well. Good luck with your vigilante group. You'll become famous if you succeed, so I'll hear if you've been slacking or not."

They exchanged a final grin before turning and heading in their respective directions.

Several minutes later, Rui halted when a far-away voice called to him. He turned, squinting as he caught sight of the blond's distant figure standing on a snowy hill.

"I guess I could not leave without telling you after all," Ieyatsu called back, and Rui had to strain his ears to hear. "Back with the merchant, I saw your face. You wanted to give up and bow down to the merchant's wishes." A pause, long enough for Rui to start and a flash of shame to filter into his heart.

"Do not do that again."

Rui blinked, unconsciously taking a step forward.

"It is your life," The blond continued. "And it is just as precious as the next. You do not have time to bow down to others' desires if you think it is wrong. Walk your own path and do what you think is right. Do not dare let anyone force you into doing something you believe is wrong."

The sixteen-year-old found himself nodding once again, this time in a sign of acknowledged promise, before returning the final wave the blond sent his way. A few seconds later, Ieyatsu had disappeared, the swirling snow quickly hiding him from view as the other teen continued on.

Rui stared for a moment longer before turning and hurrying towards his house once more, steps lighter than he thought was possible, a small smile visible to any who would come across him.

**VENDICARE PRISON / ALESSIO'S OFFICE / PRESENT TIME**

"… Ieyatsu."

"Yes, we just went over that."

Rui started and almost tumbled off the couch he had been lying on, Alessio's emotionless voice startling him awake.

Mismatched eyes turned to stare at him, gaze stony.

"You weren't listening to a word I was saying, were you?" The Cloud Guardian finally stated.

Rui blinked back the confusion filtering in his sleep-fogged mind.

"I was." He protested.

"You were asleep." Alessio accused flatly.

Rui considered denying it for a moment before realizing it would do no good and promptly sighed, slumping back onto the couch.

"It's your fault for not noticing." He grumbled.

Alessio didn't bother answering, studying his fellow Guardian instead.

"Why did you say 'Ieyatsu'?" He asked at last.

The Lightning Guardian blinked, frowning in confusion. "Did I?" Absently, he thought back to the memory he had drudged up during his nap and his eyes widened in realization.

"You did." Alessio continued, taking in Rui's change of expression.

Rui turned, frowning. "You said we went over that. What do you mean?"

The black-haired man released an imperceptible sigh. "We do not know much about the First Generation Vongola Famiglia since the Vendice were on the rise at that time as well and had no time to watch a group that technically was not a Mafia famiglia." He intoned, eyes still fixed firmly on the Lightning Guardian. "So I did some research. It turns out that Vongola Primo's real name is not Giotto. It was known only by his closest Family members at the time, and proves that the future Vongola Decimo is a direct descendant."

Rui's eyes widened further. "What's his name then?" He all but demanded, thoughts running a mile a minute.

Alessio raised an eyebrow. "It seems you already know: Sawada Ieyatsu."

A moment of stifling silence fell before Rui slumped back, shoulders sagging as the very obvious dots connected in his mind.

"You have a picture?" He asked wearily, running a hand through his slightly tousled hair.

The Cloud Guardian nodded silently, shuffling a few pieces of paper before slipping one out and handing it to Rui.

Rui stared down at the piece of paper. It was a copy of a painting, but the face was unmistakable. He himself had never met the Vongola Primo personally so he had no idea what the man looked like until now. To think that–

"You didn't answer my question."

The Lightning Guardian glanced up again, releasing a heavy sigh in the face of Alessio's waiting eyes as he laid back down on the couch once more.

"I broke my promise." He mumbled after a while, arm thrown over his eyes as amused, bright smiles and molten gold eyes floated to the top of his thoughts.

Alessio didn't say anything, simply waiting patiently for the other Guardian to continue.

"I promised him I'd never let anyone force me to do something I thought was wrong," He released a short, bitter, humorless laugh. "And here I am, ten generations later, doing the exact things he wanted to stop."

The long-haired Cloud Guardian frowned. "You promised Vongola Primo?" He asked slowly. "You knew him?"

Rui made a negative sound. "I knew Sawada Ieyatsu, and it was Sawada Ieyatsu that I promised." Sighing again, he moved his arm, tracing the stone ceiling with his eyes. "I met him before the Vendice and the Vongola. I was sixteen and he was seventeen. He was travelling through my town and helped me when I was in a bit of trouble." Again, the warm smile and gentle eyes flashed through his mind, and his mouth curved upward in wry amusement. "He had trouble speaking Japanese and his friends were crazy, but I thought he was a saint at the time. And I suppose he still was after he became Vongola Primo."

Alessio absorbed this, carefully storing the information away. "And you didn't remember this until now?"

Rui shrugged, staring at the picture again. "We met that one time," He said slowly. "And I never saw him again. He said first meetings were the most important though, because then you're never truly forgotten by the other." He snorted. "I guess he was right about that too."

Alessio observed the other for a moment longer before turning away again, letting his longtime friend fall back on his memories in some semblance of privacy.

"You didn't break it."

After several minutes, the Cloud Guardian stood, not bothering to glance at the man still lazing on the couch as he moved to his bookshelves, scanning the spines as he spoke.

Rui looked up, confused as he followed Alessio's back.

"Your promise to Primo." Alessio clarified, taking down a dark red-covered text and flipping through the pages. You didn't break it, just delayed it."

Rui just stared for a moment, open surprise on his face. Alessio rarely attempted to make anyone feel better, even him. Face softening into a smile, he turned to glance at the picture one last time before swinging off the couch and walking over to the Cloud Guardian's desk to return it to the stack of papers.

"Yeah," He agreed. "I guess so."

**VARIA MANSION / TSUNA'S OFFICE / PRESENT TIME**

"I don't trust that scum."

Blunt, to the point, and absolutely Xanxus-like, Tsuna sighed, massaging his temples as, for the umpteenth time, the Varia leader voiced his opinion and Dino tried to throw his own two cents in.

It had been two days after Dino had brought Volpino Aldarez in. He was under twenty-four hour surveillance by some of the Varia guards but the man had somehow managed to endear himself to almost everyone he met. Even Gokudera, who was suspicious of everyone and everything within a mile radius of Tsuna, had taken a liking to the redhead.

"Xanxus-nii, Dino-nii," Tsuna interrupted before Dino could open his mouth. "That's enough. This is getting us nowhere."

Both men turned to him, twin frowns marring their features. The three bosses were seated comfortably in Tsuna's furnished office, discussing the newcomer and his unnatural effect he had over the other Family members.

"So what's your opinion on all this, Tsuna?" Dino asked, features anxious. Seeing the way his own Family was taking to the redhead was starting to make him wish he had just left the man on the side of the road.

Tsuna pursed his lips, eyes narrowing. "It's not whether I trust him or not that's the issue here," He started slowly. "There's something… different about him. Something off."

Crimson eyes narrowed as well. "Your intuition?" Xanxus asked sharply.

Tsuna nodded. "I can sense things about people through their auras. Whether they're lying or not, whether they want to kill someone or not, even whether they're happy or not. But they all have something in common, no matter what they're feeling." He shook his head, frustration leaking into amber eyes. "I'm not explaining it right. For example, you two have the same feel, even thought Xanxus-nii feels irritated and Dino-nii feels worried. But above that, you two _feel_ the same."

Xanxus' brow furrowed. "Have you ever felt this before?" He asked, observing the aggravation in the brunette's expression. "With anyone else you've interacted with?"

Tsuna searched his memories, frowning in concentration. "I wasn't concentrating on their auras at the time," He voiced haltingly. "And Volpino-san doesn't really feel exactly like them either. His aura feels more… sticky when he's interacting with the others, like his aura is honey and the others' auras are empty pots being filled by that. But other than that, I suppose the closest matches to his aura would be…" He paused, gradually meeting each of their eyes. "Alessio-san's and Rui-san's."

A thundering silence fell on them after Tsuna's revelation, broken abruptly by Xanxus, who set down his wine glass with finality.

"That's it," His eyes fierce, turning a glare at the blond sitting on his left. "We're getting rid of that scum."

Dino didn't so much as blink in disagreement, nodding before turning to Tsuna.

"I'm sorry I brought him here, Tsuna," He apologized quietly. "We'll escort him off the estate right away."

Before the brunette could reply to this however, a shiver crept along his spine, making him stiffen for a split second before relaxing and turning to the door. A moment later, Xanxus also tensed, eyes narrowing as he turned, while Dino frowned, observing the door as well.

"Mukuro-san," Tsuna called cheerfully. "Stop trying to eavesdrop and just come in. Chrome-chan too."

After a moment, the door swung open, lock having already been picked by the taller of the two that entered the room. Chrome had a sheepish look etched on her face, embarrassment tingeing her features. Mukuro on the other hand simply smirked cheerfully, striding in like he owned the room.

"Sorry, boss," Chrome voiced softly. "But Mukuro-nii and I had to talk to you."

Tsuna waved a hand. "Make yourselves comfortable." He tilted his head, observing the solemnity in Chrome's lone eye, as well as the slight frown marring the smirking illusionist's face.

"Is this about Volpino-san?" The brunette asked quietly once they were settled beside him, Chrome stationed between him and Mukuro. Across from him, Xanxus' frown deepened and Dino shifted restlessly beside him, wariness creeping into his features.

At this, Tsuna's mind momentarily cast back to the first dinner the blond had had with his Guardians, screeching about spiders in his soup and accusing the Varia of trying to poison him, then promptly dumping said soup in Squalo's hair. Before anyone could do anything, Viper had been quick to point out that the spiders Dino had seen were only illusions, proving it by dispelling said illusion. At this point, Squalo had turned bright red, both from rage and from the heat of the soup trickling down his neck, not to mention that, as soon as Dino had dumped the soup on him, he had jumped up and started swiping desperately at his hair, trying to get the 'spiders' out of his long locks. Things did not get any better as Belphegor and Gokudera both burst out laughing, the prince cackling maniacally, almost tipping out of his chair, while the bomber had doubled over, tears streaming down his face as he caught sight of the dumbstruck look on the Varia swordsman's face. Needless to say, a fight had broken out, in which guns had been fired and swords had whirled, metal had clashed with metal and bombs and knives had been thrown, and by the time Tsuna had managed to bring some semblance of peace back to the dining room, large chunks had been taken out of the walls and ceiling, the dinner table had been turned clean over, the legs of said table had been snapped off by Levi and Ken so they could attempt to decapitate each other, and everyone had food in their hair or clothes or both. Even Hibari's suit had been stained, and his silver eyes had been positively murderous at the time. The only ones untouched by the disaster was Mukuro who was smirking into his tea, looking far too satisfied for his own good, and Chrome, whom Tsuna had hastily ushered behind him as soon as he sensed the mini apocalypse about to take place.

"Oya," Mukuro rested his head on one hand as he propped his elbow up on one arm of the chair he was sitting on. "That's a good guess, Tsunayoshi-kun."

The brunette frowned. "We were just discussing him. Did you find something wrong with him?"

Mismatched eyes glanced at the other two bosses before focusing on him again. "Besides the fact that he is eavesdropping on our conversation at the moment? Yes."

Tsuna stiffened, noting that Xanxus and Dino had done the same. "I don't sense anyone," He admitted after a moment. "He's a very strong illusionist then?"

The bluenette tilted his head thoughtfully. "Very strong, yes. But you should still have been able to sense him if it weren't for the Mist Arcobaleno interfering."

Tsuna blinked. "Viper-nii's doing something?"

Mukuro nodded, gaze sliding to the side to meet crimson eyes. "Yes. Most likely, you can't sense him because he is simply hiding you from unwanted ears. As far as our new guest is concerned, we are having a wonderful chat about our next Vongola tea party."

Tsuna sweatdropped as Xanxus snorted derisively. Dino scratched his head. "He's not seriously going to believe that, is he?"

Mukuro shrugged elegantly. "Regardless of whether he believes it or not, this is what he is hearing. But as I mentioned earlier, that is not quite the worst of your problems."

Tsuna frowned. "What did you find out?"

Here, Chrome leaned forward, lone amethyst eye focused on the brunette. "Volpino-san is a very high level illusionist. We think he is influencing everyone's thoughts with his Mist flames." She stopped, glancing at her counterpart.

Mukuro continued without a hitch. "He expels strong invisible Mist flames constantly no matter where he goes, creating a magnetism around him that draws others to him. Because Chrome and I are both relatively strong, not to mention illusionists as well, it does not influence us, nor the Mist Arcobaleno.. His eyes sharpened. "It seems bosses are also not influenced, though I do not know why. Tsunayoshi-kun can be explained by his hyper intuition, but not the others. The Arcobaleno tutor is also not influenced, but he is a different case all together. For the others, his Mist flames have already started infecting their flames, which, in turn, influence their wills."

There was a thoughtful silence as the three bosses in the room absorbed this.

"I don't like him, boss."

Tsuna glanced down, startled. It was rare for Chrome to voice her opinion of someone, and even rarer for he to put it in such a blunt manner.

Chrome shivered. "I really, really, really don't like him. Whenever he stands next to me, the Mist flames instantly start trying to influence me, and when it does, I start feeling sick. If Mukuro-nii wasn't pushing them back, I wouldn't be able to stand it."

Tsuna's eyes narrowed, flickering up to meet mismatched eyes. "Would he cause any harm if we were to simply order him to leave?"

Mukuro's expression turned almost calculating. "If I said 'yes'?"

The future boss' features turned slightly colder. "Then I would lock him in the Varia holding cells until another solution was found so he wouldn't be able to influence my Family." He paused, amber eyes never wavering as he unconsciously straightened. "As a last resort, should it be absolutely necessary, I would kill him."

The silence that followed this statement was somber, even as Dino nodded in agreement, Xanxus' eyes flashed with approval, Chrome's eyes widened, and grudging respect flitted across Mukuro's features as he leaned back in his chair.

"Unfortunately," The male illusionist continued. "Sending him away or locking him up is out of the option. The Mist flames are similar to a drug. Keep him away from your Family for too long and they will start dying. His Mist flames are particularly strong as well so they have already caused quite a bit of damage judging by how even strong-willed people like Kyouya-chan have been influenced."

Tsuna's mouth turned down. While the effect on Hibari wasn't as obvious as the others, the skylark hadn't called the redhead a herbivore, hadn't challenged him to a fight, and even gave a curt nod in reply to Volpino's goodnight yesterday evening.

If that wasn't cause for worry, he didn't know what was.

"We can't kill him either, boss," Chrome's quiet voice startled him out of his thoughts and he looked down again at his only female Guardian.

"If he dies before he reverses what he has done to the others," She explained. "Nothing will change and they will still die."

The brunette's features twisted into a scowl. "I can't kill him anyway," He muttered. "He's definitely from Vendice and if it's someone of his caliber, he's probably a Guardian. Vendice Guardians can't be killed."

"So what do we do?" Dino finally interjected. "We can't just ignore this!"

Xanxus shot him another death glare. "We wouldn't have to ignore 'this' in the first place if you had just left the scum for dead!"

"For now," Tsuna interrupted before another argument could start. "We'll just have to keep an eye on him. We can't even be sure he didn't really lose his memories. He may be very strong, but constantly releasing high level Mist flames like he's doing will tire him out eventually. If he's doing it unconsciously, he'll show signs of it. And if he isn't, then he'll hide it in his own way."

Turning to study his two illusionists, he asked, "Can you keep an eye on him? You two are also illusionists and would probably be the first to see if anything takes a turn for the worst."

Chrome nodded instantly, and Mukuro also inclined his head after a moment. "He's an intriguing individual, Tsunayoshi-kun," The illusionist voiced as he rose to his feet and headed for the door, Chrome following him. "I don't think I have ever come across such a blatant display of power."

With that said, both illusionists left as quietly as they had come, Chrome waving shyly behind her before slipping out as well.

Still inside, Tsuna quickly turned to Xanxus, brow creased. The Varia leader was already nodding.

"I'll get that Arcobaleno scum to keep an eye out as well." Downing the last of his wine, he rose and turned sharply for the door.

Dino sighed miserably. "I'm sorry, Tsuna. I never should have brought him."

The brunette shrugged. "What's done is done, Dino-nii. Now we'll just have to think of a way to get out of this. Besides, I wouldn't have left an amnesiac on the side of the road either. Don't worry about it."

The blond sighed again, before nodding and rising to his feet. "I'll keep an eye out as well. I promise I won't leave until this matter is resolved."

A few minutes later, Tsuna was finally left alone and, with a sigh, he tilted his head back and let himself close his eyes, the day's exhaustion washing over him. He couldn't really condemn the redhead; after all, if Volpino really did have amnesia, then Tsuna couldn't really blame the man for unconsciously expelling the Mist flames.

A thought made him frown. He really should have asked both Rui and Alessio for a way to contact them. Perhaps they knew something about a missing Vendice Guardian.

**VARIA MANSION / MUKURO'S ROOM / PRESENT TIME**

"Mukuro-nii?"

The bluenette in question glanced up at his petite cousin.

"Why didn't you tell boss about what we saw?" The girl asked softly.

Mismatched eyes hardened as they turned back to the window. "At the moment," He finally replied. "Tsunayoshi-kun doesn't need to know. It is a simple matter to tell him later on if need be. Besides," Here, the illusionist's expression darkened. "He is undoubtedly Vendice, and I have unfinished business with them. If they wish to encroach on what belongs to me, I will destroy every one of them."

Chrome tilted her head, blinking as she heard the probably unconscious note of protectiveness in her older cousin's voice. A small smile softened her delicate features as she nodded in agreement, curling up in the comfortable armchair by the fireplace.

"And I'll help, Mukuro-nii. Boss will stay safe."

**And, done!**

**Not a lot of action in this one, but it explains some things!**

**I hope you enjoyed it and please take some time to review!**

**Next chapter will have Hibari in it so please keep reading!**


	6. Confrontations and A Day Out

**Disclaimer: I do not own any KHR characters...**

**I'm glad most people seem to have enjoyed the last chapter and I hope this next one doesn't disappoint!**

**I also figured that I'd add a recap before each chap from now on since it was requested and I also agreed it would be easier to connect each chapter to the one before.**

**Thanks for all the reviews, and enjoy!**

_**Recap Start**_

"_**For now," Tsuna interrupted before another argument could start. "We'll just have to keep an eye on him. We can't even be sure he didn't really lose his memories. He may be very strong, but constantly releasing high level Mist flames like he's doing will tire him out eventually. If he's doing it unconsciously, he'll show signs of it. And if he isn't, then he'll hide it in his own way."**_

_**...Skip...**_

_**Mismatched eyes hardened as they turned back to the window. "At the moment," He finally replied. "Tsunayoshi-kun doesn't need to know. It is a simple matter to tell him later on if need be. Besides," Here, the illusionist's expression darkened. "He is undoubtedly Vendice, and I have unfinished business with them. If they wish to encroach on what belongs to me, I will destroy every one of them."**_

_**Recap Finish**_

**Chapter 6 – Confrontations and A Day Out**

**ITALY / TEN GENERATIONS AGO**

"Mr. Luca?"

Mismatched eyes turned to pin a stare on the middle-aged man standing in the doorway to the foyer, carrying a cushion that balanced a letter on top of it. The man flinched under the gaze, hastily bowing to avoid the piercing gaze.

"Telegram for you from your father, sir."

Alessio rose, actions smooth as he moved across the foyer with practiced elegance. Without a word, he picked up the letter, brushed past his butler, and headed for his rooms in the east wing, paying no mind to the many servants lowering their eyes and bowing obediently as he approached.

Finally reaching his set of rooms, the black-haired teen pushed open the door and stepped inside, darkness immediately settling over him like a blanket. Releasing an imperceptible sigh, he turned to the windows, pushing open one of the curtains so that the weak sunlight mostly shielded behind winter clouds could seep in. Dropping into a nearby chair, the movement graceful even in the privacy of his own chambers, he broke the seal on the letter, taking the slip of parchment out of the envelope.

_Alessio,_

_Your eldest brother Alessandro has business in Calabria and will arrive the night this telegram reaches you. I expect you to treat my future heir with the utmost respect. I do not wish to hear of another scandal like last time. Do not disappoint me again._

_Kratos de Luca_

Sneer twisting his features, Alessio surged to his feet, letter already a crumpled ball in his hand as he hurled it across the room. It bounced off the opposite wall with an unsatisfying 'thump' before falling to the ground.

Turning, he grabbed a black cloak from a hook and stalked from the room, this time with a lot less finesse than before. Hurrying down several flights of stairs and ignoring the flurry of maids fluttering around him every few feet, the black-haired teen had almost made it to the front door when his butler's gravelly voice reached his ears.

"Young master, if you wish to go out, Leighan will escort you."

Without stopping, Alessio snapped over his shoulder, voice cold and flinty, "I don't need a watchdog. If Leighan follows me, I'll make sure he is fired and sent back to his homeland penniless."

Wrenching the door open, the teen stepped out into the cold, firmly shutting the wooden entrance behind him.

Twenty minutes later, he was standing at the end of a street, stern face giving away none of the turmoil creating havoc in his heart. Glancing left then right, he absently wondered where he was. He was never really allowed to walk on the streets like normal people, confined to a carriage more often than not with the curtains drawn so the outside 'filth' wouldn't contaminate the inside, or so he was told.

Another twenty minutes later and Alessio couldn't quite keep the irritation from showing on his face; the cold weather had already wormed its way through his cloak and pants. He had no gloves and the only footwear he had were the fanciful shoes his servants always brought back for him in an attempt to soothe his typically hard exterior.

_"Oi, better be careful."_

Lips thinning, the black-haired seventeen-year-old blinked snowflakes from his eyelashes before turning left, only for his shoe to slide out from under him, sending him crashing gracelessly to the ground as gravity dragged him downwards.

Spluttering as he tried to right himself, and shaking the snow off his cloak while noting with dismay that he was even colder now, a snicker made him freeze before snapping his head around to direct a dark, dangerous glare in the sound's direction.

"I warned ya, didn't I? There's black ice under that snow and you were standin' on it."

Alessio glared harder at the red-haired teen standing calmly on a street curb a safe distance away, hands stuffed into a slightly scruffy dark brown coat, and making no move to help him up. With a grunt, he pushed himself to his feet again, suppressing a shiver as he concentrated on not slipping.

"Over here."

Carefully, Alessio gauged the Italian, taking in the ivy-like tattoo on the teen's face and the mischievous ruby eyes that met his own mismatched ones without blinking before picking his way over to him. As he stepped up onto the sidewalk, he gave a stiff nod before turning to move off again, not really wanting to waste more time in the dismal weather.

"Wanna get a coffee? Ya look like ya need it," Here, Alessio could almost hear the smirk in the other's voice. "Mr. Aristocrat."

The black-haired teen immediately stiffened, turning around again as quickly as he could in the thick snow under his feet. He watched the redhead wave a hand in the air as he started off in the opposite direction.

"C'mon," He called over his shoulder. "Unless you can't be seen in a commoner's café of course."

Alessio's eyes narrowed before starting off after the other teen. Technically, he wasn't supposed to even be seen with commoners, according to his father, much less go into a coffee shop run by and filled with them, but here was another chance to give his father apoplexy and maybe the old man would finally kick the bucket, so he would follow for now.

Five minutes later, the two reached their destination and, as Alessio stepped inside into quiet murmurs and soft laughter that blended to create a pleasant buzz, he wondered why, even with all the money the Luca family actually possessed, the mansions they had couldn't be half as warm as the little one-room brick-walled café the redhead had taken him to.

Then his mouth twisted and, giving himself a mental shake of the head, strode after the redhead, ignoring the inquisitive stares directed at him as he made his way across the room.

"Sit here," The redhead ordered, gesturing flippantly to a bare, wooden chair before dropping into the one across from it.

"Two coffees please!" Alessio watched a smirk grow on his current companion's face, feeling a thrum of wariness as he gingerly sat himself down on the offered chair. He wasn't disappointed.

"And put it on Mr. Aristocrat's tab!"

The black-haired teen's eyes narrowed immediately, glaring at the rudeness of the other teen. But instead of cowering like all of the other people he was used to interacting with, the redhead merely snorted derisively, rolling his eyes.

"What?" He demanded. "You can afford it, can't you? I mean, just look at those clothes you're wearing; nobody in their right mind would ever go out in this weather wearing such ridiculous clothing. It's a miracle you haven't frozen yet!"

Alessio glared even harder. "My tailor made these specifically for this weather," He replied stiffly. "And I paid good money for them. He assured me they would keep the cold out."

The bark of laughter that followed this made Alessio's jaw tighten.

"Well, your tailor lied." The redhead said bluntly. "Maybe it would keep the cold out when you're riding in your fancy carriages, but it's next to useless on the streets. You have a bigger chance of getting robbed."

Alessio stiffened even further but he really had nothing to say to that. The tailor would never lie to a Luca, in fear of being run out of business, so he must have thought Alessio would be riding in a carriage like any other person of his status would when going out.

Mismatched eyes flickered up when two steaming mugs were placed on the table in front of him, the server casting him a critical eye before voicing brusquely, "Take the cloak off son, before ya freeze ta death. It's warmer in here without it, I daresay."

Alessio blinked, startled beyond words behind his mask of indifference at the worker's words. He couldn't remember the last time someone called him 'son' in such a casual manner. He couldn't remember ever being called anything in such a casual manner.

Some of his surprise must have shown though because the man still standing over their table crossed his arms, looking mildly annoyed.

"I dunno how you nobles in your fancy mansions treat each other, but down here, things like throwin' in a word o' advice ta those who need it are common sense. You're freezin' in that cloak o' yours; take it off or I might end up havin' ta cart ya to the hospital or somethin'."

Reluctantly, Alessio struggled out of the soaked coat all but sticking to him, suddenly feeling a lot warmer now that the heat of the fireplace was no longer hindered by his cloak.

"Nice one, old man," The redhead across from him commented, leaning back with the mug of coffee already in his hands. "I woulda just left him in it, seeing as how he seems too proud to listen to us peasants."

Alessio was just about to snap an angry reply back when a hand whacked his companion in the back of the head, making him pause and the other teen yelp.

"Mind yur manners, boy," The restaurant owner lectured sternly. "Giotto personally asked me ta keep an eye on ya until 'e comes back from Japan. I don't wanna have ta be tellin' 'im that 'e 'as ta go and bail ya outta jail again, even if 'e can afford it."

The redhead snorted again, grumbling under his breath, "Che. It's usually the other way around, isn't it? He gets into some sorta trouble and I have to haul his ass out of it."

The man shook his head, unimpressed. "That was when 'e was younger," He said dismissively. "He's grown up into a fine lad. You on the other hand just seem ta be gettin' more infant-like as the years pass. Now stop teasing yur friend like some five-year-old and drink up before the coffee gets cold. That goes for you too, boy." He added, turning one last glance at Alessio, who had been watching the conversation with feigned boredom, before moving back to the kitchen in the back.

"You heard him," Alessio turned back to his companion as the other teen spoke. "Don't be shy, drink up." The redhead grinned, raising his drink. "Cheers."

With an inaudible sigh, the black-haired teen reached for his own cup, raising it to his lips and giving it a cautious sip.

It was good. Heck, he'd go as far as to say that it was the best coffee he'd ever had in his life, not to mention that the warmth of the drink immediately started spreading throughout his body, thawing the icy chill still clinging stubbornly to his bones.

"So what exactly were you doin' out on the streets, Mr. Aristocrat?"

The question made Alessio stiffen again, frowning slightly at the name he had been dubbed.

"My name," He started evenly. "Is Alessio de Luca."

The black-haired teen expected the immediate fearful awe that appeared on the face of any person he spoke to that was lower than him in station but instead, he received an uninterested look that spoke volumes of what the redhead thought of the Luca name.

"A Luca, huh? I suppose you're one of the sons?" A half-grin, half-smirk made its way onto the teen's face. "Father owns a drug ring, right? But business hasn't been going too well these days, I hear."

Alessio's eyes narrowed immediately, mind already deducing any hidden meanings behind the redhead's words. After all, not many people knew about his father's side business. It would turn into a scandal far larger than any he could ever cause. But the other teen was right; the drug ring his father had his fingers firmly stuck into had gone under a little while ago, and while that in itself hadn't really been completely unexpected, the fact that almost solid rumors of a small group of teens having been the cause of the business' downfall was.

"Did you have a hand in it, then?" Alessio probed cautiously, features neutral and mindful of the redhead's expression.

The smirk only grew. "Who knows?" The teen voiced cryptically. "But whatcha gonna do if I did, Mr. Aristocrat? Sic your sissy State Police on me?"

An image of his father puffing on a cigar and frantically ordering a troop of men in gaudy, eye-watering uniforms to catch the perpetrators forced a twitch of a smile to surface, something that the sharp-eyed teen sitting across from him caught instantly.

The redhead grinned back. "Oh? Not a model son then? That why you were on the streets without an escort?"

Alessio stiffened again, face reconstructing itself back into a more proper expression.

"That does not have anything to do with you." He returned, sharper than he intended.

The other teen didn't look offended in the slightest, simply shrugging and taking another gulp from the mug in his hands.

"Whatever, but next time, buy a less expensive and more effective coat. And boots for that matter. And get some proper gloves and a scarf while you're at it."

Alessio frowned again, surreptitiously glancing down at his shoes, now looking more worn than his oldest footwear. Then, almost unconsciously, he leaned back casually, eyes trailing under the table to glance at the rugged, thick boots his companion wore.

He cleared his throat. "We do not have any other kinds of shoes in the shops we go to," He admitted awkwardly, face like stone even as he felt embarrassment expanding like a sunrise inside him.

The redhead snorted. "Figures. You ain't even really supposed to be out here are you, Mr. Aristocrat? Besides, don't you Lucas like staying away from commoners?" Here, a sliver of anger appeared in his crimson eyes, boring into him with something akin to resentment. "My best friend ran into one of your brothers a few months ago. Bastard practically jumped out of his skin because my friend _brushed_ against him, and it was your brother who wasn't watching where he was going! Then he whips out a handkerchief that looked like it had cost enough to feed an orphanage for a good three months and starts wiping his coat like he just attracted the plague! You nobles _all_ like that, or is it just the Lucas?"

Alessio had turned almost white in the face of the now angry redhead's disgust. So the blond filthy peasant Alessandro had come back ranting about several months back and had ordered his coat to be burned because of said peasant was his current companion's best friend. While Alessio didn't know what the blond looked like, judging by the other teen's wind-tossed but clean appearance, the peasant Alessandro had bumped into couldn't possibly have been all that filthy.

"I... apologize for my brother's behaviour." The black-haired teen said haltingly, not used to having to apologize to anyone save his father, mother, and two brothers, but realizing that this was the first time he actually _felt_ he needed to apologize. "Alessandro was raised directly by our father and he is truly our sire's son."

Red eyes continued to observe him for a moment longer before the anger seemed to abate, retreating until a calculating look replaced it. "Che. What kinda noble are you anyway? Ya speak like one and ya dress like one, but ya don't act like one."

Alessio quirked an eyebrow, not quite knowing how to reply to this statement but knowing that, for some reason, he wanted to clarify for the other teen.

"My birth mother was not the same as my brothers'," He voiced quietly, not quite knowing what to make of the redhead's open curiosity. "She was one of my father's mistresses."

"Heh," A slow grin had started spreading across the other teen's face again. "Family rift and all that, yeah? Makes you all the more interesting."

Mismatched eyes blinked, the only sign of outward surprise, which quickly faded at the redhead's next question.

"How's your mum then? You still see her?"

"No," A chill, something that couldn't be melted by the café's fire, settled in his chest. "She's dead."

And once again, instead of a normal reaction like embarrassed surprise or awkward backtracking, the redhead only nodded, smile fading into something more sombre.

"I see."

"She was killed," Alessio had no idea why he couldn't hold his tongue. Either way, his mouth was spewing out word after word, things he never dared to even think around the other people occupying his house. "On father's orders. I heard him. Because it would have been a disgrace to our family if it was found out."

The redhead didn't say a word, simply nodding again before finishing off the last of his coffee, and Alessio found himself uncharacteristically grateful for the lack of disbelief or pity.

Just acceptance.

The black-haired teen raised his head again as a muffled chime from the city's clock-tower reminded him of the late hour. A sudden movement opposite him drew his attention back to his companion as the redhead rose.

"Seems like you have to get going," The other teen guessed, reaching into a pocket and withdrawing a few notes. "I'll take you back to your house."

Alessio drew up, startled. "I thought you wanted me to–"

He was cut off when ruby eyes turned back to him, fierce but still friendly.

"One thing both peasants and nobles have in common, maybe peasants even more," The redhead explained calmly. "Is pride. I was only jokin' earlier. Besides, I brought you here. It's common courtesy for me ta treat you."

With that, the teen turned to the counter where the worker was stationed at, placing down the money required for the drinks. The worker grunted, swatting good-naturedly at the redhead before turning to Alessio and giving a nod.

"C'mon."

And Alessio found himself following the red-haired teen once more, shoes struggling for purchase on the slippery ground.

Ten minutes later, both were standing in front of the gates to Alessio's estate, Alessio shifting surreptitiously from foot to foot to stay warm.

"Get inside before you freeze your ass off, Mr. Aristocrat" was the redhead's parting shot as he turned to leave, shoulders hunched to keep the wind chill to a minimum.

Blinking in consternation, Alessio watched him go, mouth tugging down into a frown before he turned to the gates.

"Oi,"

The black-haired teen immediately froze, having heard the warning before. A chuckle made him relax and turn a small glare that lacked any real heat on the redhead standing a few feet away.

"Not a warning this time, Mr. Aristocrat." The teen said, smiling again. "Just thought I should tell ya somethin'."

Alessio turned fully around, suddenly discovering a well of patience since this delayed the inevitability of having to return to cold marble and unforgiving stone, majestic but empty.

"Whatcha still doin' here if ya hate it so much?"

The question made him still, focus completely on the redhead.

"If ya don't like it, then leave. Nothin's stoppin' ya. Walk your own path and live life the way you wanna." A wide grin. "I can't take credit for those words though; that goes to my best friend. It's the same thing he said to me when we first met. Thought it might help. Well anyway, see y'around, Mr. Aristocrat."

Alessio stayed rooted to the ground for a second longer before his mouth opened, not waiting for his brain to catch up, and the question poured out before he could stop it.

"What is your name?"

The redhead didn't even pause, simply continuing on the path he had chosen. But a smirk, cocky and bright, was flashed back at him, ruby eyes alive with possibilities.

"I'm G! Remember the name, Alessio, 'cause I'll be famous one day!"

Mismatched eyes watched him go, something other than bitter anger stirring in his heart for the first time in years.

**TIME SKIP**

"Put my things in my room and run a hot bath for me while I have something to eat, Alessio. I want some dinner before I turn in for the night."

"Do it yourself."

Red-and-black clashed with washed-out grey in a battle of wills.

"I beg your pardon?" Alessandro snapped irritably, glowering at his younger half-brother.

Alessio's jaw tightened, aware of the wide-eyed stares around him. "I said, do it yourself."

Alessandro's lips pulled back in a snarl. "You impertinent little street rat! What are you _wearing_ anyway? I am your oldest brother and the heir to father's assets! Do as I say or I'll shut you in the attic again, this time for longer than a day!"

Alessio's features twisted, eyes narrowing, his lone crimson eye glittering with seventeen years of pent-up resentment and fury. He watched with cold satisfaction as his eldest brother took a step back, eyes now barely able to meet his.

"Alessio," Alessandro's voice sounded strained, a hint of fear thinning the usually deep, scratchy voice. "Do as I say."

"No."

With that, Alessio moved across the foyer towards an imposing statue of a lion. After G had left, it had taken him all of five minutes to make up his mind and, within half an hour, had packed the sparse belongings he wanted to bring and had been on his way out of the house again, this time wearing a thick rough coat he had snuck from one of the servants, as well as one of the extra pairs of boots of one of the footmen. But then his butler had announced his brother's forgotten arrival and he had quickly shoved his bag behind one of the statues in the foyer just as Alessandro stepped into the house.

Still keeping one eye on his brother, he grabbed the bag he had stashed behind the lion statue and headed for the door once more, giving his surprised servants and gaping brother a wide berth.

"I have never cared about the heir position, brother," Alessio said slowly. "And I have never cared about what happens to this family either. I have never been a part of it, so there is no reason for me to stay. Do not look for me. You can make up some story about a tragic carriage accident off a cliff; that won't cause a scandal. I'll make it on my own from now on."

Finally at the large wooden doors, Alessio quickly fumbled for the handle, pushing it open with one hand, but not stepping out as his brother's voice made him pause.

"You will die out there, Alessio," Alessandro sneered, crossing his arms. "You may be a street rat, but you were raised in the comfort of the Lucas' assets. You will be knifed before the day is out."

Alessio's lips thinned, slowly shaking his head. "You're wrong. I can fight. I've been teaching myself for years. Besides, anywhere is better than here. It is too cold here. Too empty. Too quiet. I hate it, so I am leaving.

...goodbye."

And, without another word, the black-haired teen stepped out into the cold, closing the oak doors behind him, which slammed shut with a sense of finality.

Pressing his lips together, the seventeen-year-old left the estate, shouldering his bag and stuffing his hands into his newly-acquired jacket as he set off on his own path.

**VENDICARE PRISON / ALESSIO'S OFFICE / PRESENT TIME**

Mismatched eyes snapped open, focusing once more on the picture placed neatly on top of the stack of papers on his desk. His left hand, loosely grasping a black pen, idly tapped said utensil against the copy of the portrait. The face had brought back memories of long ago, memories he had thought were long forgotten.

Apparently not.

G.

How had he not made the connection? The redhead had even promised him he would be famous one day.

Then again, ten generations' worth of memories tended to make the years blur. With a sigh, Alessio dropped the pen and leaned back in a rare show of weariness.

How long had it been? More than 1000 years? Less? Well, it didn't really matter in the long run. Either way, it had been a long time.

Pushing away from his desk, the black-haired Guardian rose, long legs taking him to one of the few windows of the great prison hold he lived in. Peering out, as he had done many times before, he thought briefly once again that he was right back where he had started, all those years ago in the marble-carved Luca manor he had hated so much. The grey mist was thick outside, shielding any spying eyes from getting more than a glimpse into their stronghold, but just as easily hiding everything outside from Alessio's view.

A sudden scuffle at his door made him turn, blinking as the supposedly locked entrance flew open, revealing a glowering Lightning Guardian, green eyes cold and hard.

"Alessio!" Rui barked out after closing the soundproof door behind him. "I found out where Vol–"

The man stopped abruptly, mid-sentence, and Alessio hastily tried to regain some of his usual nonchalance as he realized why his closest friend had stopped.

"What happened?" Rui voiced, this time less harsh and more concerned. "What's wrong?"

Alessio waved a dismissive hand, gesturing for the brunette to sit down. As expected, the other Guardian didn't move an inch, opting instead to cross his arms and frown at him.

The Cloud Guardian sighed. "Just old memories, Rui. Nothing important."

"If it wasn't important, you wouldn't look so upset!" Rui argued back. His eyes trailed around the room before settling on the large desk. In three strides, the Lightning Guardian had picked up the picture, eyes gazing critically at the portrait.

"Isn't this the first Vongola Storm Guardian?" Rui inquired. "Do you know him?"

Alessio heaved another sigh before joining the brunette. "We met, briefly. Right before I left the Luca house."

Rui grinned. "He changed your life too?"

Alessio let a faint frown cross his brow. "I had already wanted to leave." He said, feeling slightly miffed. "He just sped up my decision."

Rui felt a tinge of amusement at the indignant expression on his usually unruffled friend, and almost laughed as the black-haired man turned a slightly, only slightly, sulky scowl on him.

The Cloud Guardian knew when he was being silently laughed at. With a quiet huff, he chose the only option left available for him: bail out of the discussion immediately, change the topic, and hope his so-called friend took pity on him.

"So what are you doing here anyway?"

Something that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle slipped from the Lightning Guardian's lips before a more serious look took over.

"I found out where Volpino went."

Alessio instantly stiffened. Volpino had been gone for over a week now, and whenever that happened, it never bode well for whoever Volpino had been sent to.

"He's managed to worm his way into Vongola, currently residing in the Varia Mansion. In other words, he's with Tsunayoshi."

A thundering silence fell as Alessio glared.

"How did this happen?" He demanded. "That Decimo should know better than to invite enemies into his own domain."

Rui shrugged heavily. "You know Volpino. His ability is to influence the people around him. Maybe he got to him too."

The Cloud Guardian glared harder. "His ability does not affect our boss," He snapped. "Why would it affect Decimo?"

Rui, an edge coming into his voice, returned almost as tersely, "How should I know? Maybe his ability can affect our boss and he just pretends it can't. You know how much he likes playing mind games. Besides, with what little we know about Tsunayoshi, I can guess that, even if Volpino doesn't affect him, he'd still take him in. Vongola Decimo is the kindest Mafioso I've ever met."

Alessio released a sound of disapproval, hand thumping against his desk in a rare show of anger.

"So what now?" The black-haired Guardian's voice had lessened, tone neutral but soft.

Rui shrugged again. "We'll have to meet with Tsunayoshi again. Give him what we know about Volpino and see where everything goes from there."

Alessio frowned. "If Volpino is influencing the Decimo," He pointed out sharply. "He'll find out about this."

A grim smile slid onto the scarred man's face. "Better start praying then, because this is something we have to do, even with all the risks. After all, we did promise. And Tsunayoshi doesn't seem like someone who approves of people going back on their promises."

**VARIA MANSION / TRAINING ROOMS / PRESENT TIME**

Tsuna hovered uncertainly at the entrance of one of the Varia training rooms, listening to the sounds of metal clashing against metal inside before taking a deep breath and stepping forward, letting the doors slide open with a metallic whoosh.

"Hibari-san?"

Inside, whirling tonfas paused as glinting silver eyes slid to the brunette.

"Can we talk?"

A moment's silence before weapons were lowered and Hibari turned, giving him his full attention.

"Look," Tsuna started after an awkward pause. "I've noticed that you've been kind of, well, out of it lately, and I just wanted to know if something was wrong. You've been acting weird ever since our meeting with Rui-san and Alessio-san."

A thundering silence followed. Tsuna frowned, feeling slightly uneasy as he gazed steadily back into shifting stormy eyes.

"Will you work with him?"

Tsuna blinked at the sudden question. "What? Work with who?"

"Alessio."

The brunette shifted, surprise registering throughout his whole body at the dark venom that followed the name.

"Yes," Tsuna replied cautiously, carefully observing the other teen. "At least for the moment."

Hibari turned abruptly, successfully shutting Tsuna out. "Then we have nothing to talk about."

The skylark turned, striding for the door, only to stop short as the brown-haired teen stepped in his way.

"Hibari-san," Tsuna stared steadily up into narrowed steel orbs. "I can't read minds. That's why I came here to talk to you. I can see that something is wrong, but I don't know what, and if you don't at least give me a hint, I can't do anything about it."

Hibari's expression shifted into a glare. "I don't need you to do anything!" He hissed.

The brunette only tilted his head, features settling into a familiar stubborn line. "I consider you both friend and Family, Hibari-san," He voiced clearly. "Which means that even if you don't need me to do anything, I'll do it anyway. So at the very least, give me something to work with. Talk to me, instead of shutting yourself in here and taking all that anger you've built up out on those mannequins."

Silver eyes turned stony as the two teens stared at each other, neither giving an inch.

"...I remember him." The skylark started slowly, tone almost void of emotion. "From when I was a child."

Tsuna's eyes narrowed in concentration. "What did he do?"

But it seemed that Hibari's bout of emotional generosity had ended and the taller teen swiftly moved past the brunette, quiet footsteps fading down the hallway.

Closing his eyes, Tsuna released a breath he hadn't known he had been holding as he let his head fall back.

"You did what you could," A baby-like voice reached his ears. "That's as much as anyone can ask of anybody."

Tsuna tilted his head down, sighing again as his gaze landed on his tutor.

"I suppose," He mused, frustration creasing his brow. "But I–"

"But nothing," Reborn interrupted, easily jumping up onto his student's shoulder. "Hibari Kyouya isn't someone who freely talks about his life to other people. He just revealed a part of himself to you, and that alone shows how much respect he has for you. Don't push it too much. You'll know what to do when the time comes."

The brunette sighed once more, nodding reluctantly after a contemplative moment. "Alright, but I'm not good at not pushing. If I think something's wrong, I'll push him until he either tells me what's bothering him or he punches me in the face."

Reborn shrugged, apparently not really caring whether his student was at the wrong end of Hibari's wrath or not.

"Just do what you feel is right." A smirk. "Now, you have a date to get to. Let's pick your disguise."

The look of horror on Tsuna's face was enough to make the hitman's day.

Half an hour later, the Varia, Tsuna's guardians sans Hibari who had declined with an impatient sceptical look, I-Pin, Ken, Chikusa, Colonello, Lal, Fong, Volpino, and Yamamoto's dad were standing at the base of the staircase that led up to the bedroom wings, listening to the mumbled curses and wailing complaints of a certain future mafia boss.

"No way, Reborn! This, by far, is your worst disguise for me in the history of disguises! There is no way I'm going to–"

There was the sound of a thud and a surprised yelp before someone came flying down the staircase, tripping over thin air, and landing, quite ungracefully at the foot of the stairs.

"Stop complaining, Dame-Tsuna!" Reborn jumped up onto the banister and slid his way down. "You're the one who wanted to take them out on a tour of the city. In case you've forgotten, there's an execution order hanging over your head. Do you really think you can just waltz into a city and not expect someone to recognize you?"

A long silence followed as numerous pairs of eyes stayed glued on the figure on the ground. Xanxus was the first to snap out of the trance, striding forward and quickly shedding his Varia coat so that he could drop it on the brunette's shoulders.

"You stupid trash!" The Varia leader barked in the Sun Arcobaleno's direction. He had accepted Reborn's apology earlier with a noncommittal grunt, but both had understood, and that was the end of that. "What are you thinking, making him wear a _dress_ of all things? In case you haven't looked outside today, it's snowing!"

Instant chaos exploded around the room as various people pulled their jaws up from the ground and tried not to stare.

Tsuna, still sprawled clumsily on the ground, fought down a rising blush, as well as the urge to tear out his long hair. His sadistic tutor had forced him into a dress at gunpoint, released his typical ponytail so that his hair now hung freely down to just above his waist in layered strands, and forced him into heels of all things. Granted, they were boots with heels and only an inch high, but the fact that he was wearing a _dress_, _heels_, and overall looked like a _freakin' girl_, didn't seem to particularly bother anyone.

Indeed, his Storm and Sun Guardians were observing him with gaping mouths and red faces, his Rain Guardian was smiling as if Tsuna wearing a dress was an occurrence that happened every other day, his stupid male Mist Guardian was smirking in amusement, while his female Mist Guardian was blinking owlishly at him in surprise. His Lightning Guardian was laughing, actually laughing, at his predicament, and Tsuna quickly shot a scowl at the Bovino. Beside him, I-Pin seemed to be attempting to quiet her best friend, all the while hiding a grin of her own. Ken was, for once, not arguing with anyone, too busy guffawing at his predicament, but Tsuna would always be eternally grateful to Chikusa, who nudged his counterpart none-too-gently, frowning in disapproval as he stepped in front of the blond, blocking Tsuna from the laughing teen's view.

On the other hand, Yamamoto's dad hovered in a doorway, eyebrows raised in a way that just made the brunette want to die. Colonello was grinning at him approvingly, something that Lal noticed almost right away and promptly kicked him into a wall, while Fong only sighed, fighting back a smile. Tsuna made a mental note to buy the female Rain Arcobaleno something extra special for Christmas.

The Varia weren't helping matters much as they alternated between staring at him and yelling at Reborn. While Tsuna was grateful that someone was coming to his defence, he would be much, much, _much_ more grateful if the complaints directed at his tutor were something along the lines of 'how dare you make Tsuna wear a dress!' instead of 'how dare you make him wear a dress in the middle of winter!'. Or, in Lussuria's case, 'how dare you make Tsuna-chan wear a dress without consulting me!'.

Tsuna sighed, trying to shrink further into the large coat draped over him; the stares from the others were starting to make him contemplate suicide. He blinked and smiled though as an arm snaked around his shoulders and tightened so that he was pulled firmly against the Varia boss, hidden from view by the man's broad back.

"I'm okay, Xanxus-nii," The brunette glanced gratefully up into crimson eyes, attempting to scramble to his feet so Xanxus wouldn't have to crouch. The taller hitman helped him up, steadying him as he wobbled in his new footwear.

"Reborn," Viper, as usual, sounded monotonously annoyed, hovering in the air next to the Sun Arcobaleno. "He can't walk in those. If he's found out while he's in the city, how's he going to get away? And Boss was right. It's almost winter and there's already snow layering the ground. He's going to freeze."

Reborn didn't look at all concerned. "He'll just have to get used to it. The point of this disguise is so that he _won't_ be found out. And that's a winter dress he has on."

Squalo directed a sword slash in Reborn's direction, which the hitman simply avoided by shifting to the side.

"Vooiii!" He snapped. "There's no such thing as a winter dress! A dress is a dress, and don't you dare say anything, Lussuria!"

This last bit was directed at the Sun Guardian of the Varia squad. The flamboyant hitman had opened his mouth to presumably correct the swordsman, but closed it again and pouted under the Sword Emperor's furious gaze.

"Ushishishishi." Bel grinned widely at the brunette standing beside his boss. "I think the dress is fine. You make a very beautiful girl, Tsunino, just like a princess."

Tsuna flushed red with embarrassment, not caring even when Xanxus twitched and opened fire on the blond. The twilight-blue, form-fitting, long-sleeved dress he had on did nothing to help his situation, and he was rather inclined to agree with Squalo: a dress was a dress; he couldn't understand how the one he was wearing could be considered a winter dress since he would be cold anyway when he stepped outside.

"Tsuna-kun, I think you look great in that dress. But if it makes you uncomfortable, we don't have to go."

Tsuna blinked before spinning around, another smile spreading across his features as Kyoko descended the stairs, bundled in a beige winter coat and pants, and clutching dark green mittens.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Reborn smile and whip out a white coat out of nowhere. Hastily, the brunette grabbed it and slipped it on.

"Of course not, Kyoko-chan," Tsuna replied cheerfully. "Being cooped up in here can make you too old too fast. Besides, I promised to take everyone out on a trip around the city, and I haven't been outside for a while now too. Let's go!"

Kyoko immediately brightened, bounding down the rest of the stairs to stand beside Chrome. Everyone was decked out in winter clothes as, for the first time since they had gathered in the Varia mansion, all of them would be allowed a reprieve out and around the city. It had taken some planning, hours of recon, and, for Tsuna, days of begging his tutor to let them go.

Dino and Reborn would stay behind to watch over things while they wandered the city. The three resident bosses and Reborn had decided that Volpino would also come with them. It was Tsuna who finally managed to convince everyone else. After all, Volpino had everyone else on his side, whether the man knew it or not. If they insisted that Volpino stay behind, they would never hear the end of it.

The brunette shifted, eyes drifting over to the quiet redhead standing in a corner, lazy smile glued naturally on his face. As if sensing his gaze, Volpino turned, meeting his eyes and nodding an amused greeting. Tsuna returned it, not quite holding back the embarrassed scowl that he sent with it. The flicker of laughter in the newcomer's vibrant green eyes only made him sigh in exasperation.

**STREETS OF FLORENCE, ITALY / PRESENT TIME**

"There's never this much snow in Namimori!"

The delight in Kyoko's voice was almost palpable. Tsuna grinned, feeling lighter than he had in a while as he watched the auburn-haired girl skip ahead, dragging Chrome with her. His female Mist Guardian's cheeks were flushed from the cold but seemed almost as excited as Kyoko. The Varia travelled in a group, grumbling about the snow, the cold, the water seeping into their boots, and just the weather in general. Or maybe their whole situation in general.

His other Guardians, Ken, Chikusa, and I-Pin on the other hand were chasing each other down the street, throwing missile-like snow at each other. Tsuna wasn't sure who threw the first snowball, but what they were throwing now looked nothing like a friendly game of snowball fighting. The brunette had managed to get one last word in: no weapons, and so far everyone seemed to have obeyed. But he definitely would have said "no snow fighting" if he realized that every single one of his friends were experts at making sharp projectiles out of snow.

Tsuna paused, calm dread settling in his stomach as a large boulder of snow (how that came to be he didn't even want to know) was thrown at a laughing Yamamoto by a fuming Gokudera, only for the boulder to miss said target and hurtle headlong into another certain swordsman currently grumbling about the snow. The boulder crashed into Squalo before anyone could even shout out a warning and, after the snow had fallen away, Tsuna released a long sigh, wearily observing the twitching expression.

"VVOOOIII!" Squalo jumped into action, brandishing his sword much to the alarm of, thankfully, only the handful of people littering the street. "I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU, TRASH!"

And so, the next half hour was spent herding the large group to a more secluded area so they could fight amongst themselves without nailing a passerby with a snow dagger or something even more dangerous.

"I think I'm getting too old." Tsuna muttered aloud. Beside him, Xanxus snorted derisively, doing a marvellous job of not killing his subordinates.

"It's true," Tsuna insisted as he watched Levi rip a lamp post out of the ground and swing it around like a baseball bat without even blinking. "Either that, or I'm having my midlife crisis."

Xanxus actually barked out a laugh at this. "That's impossible, brat. You're seventeen, and unless you've suddenly developed a case of amnesia, you'll notice that those bitches do this _every goddamn day_."

Tsuna could only sigh, quickly stepping to the side as a chunk of ice flew past him. "Well I could die anytime so age doesn't matter, and I _always_ try to forget these episodes after they happen. That's why they're life-changing every time they do. They take years off of my life."

The Varia leader smirked. "I could just get rid of all of them for you," He offered, finally drawing one of his guns. "Midlife crisis averted."

The brunette couldn't quite hide the reluctant grin that spread across his features as the man fired off a round of flame-encased bullets, melting ice and snow and successfully diverting several Guardians' attention to him. Xanxus would take anything as an excuse to shoot at their Guardians. Most times, he didn't even need one.

"Shouldn't you be stopping them, Vongola-san?"

Tsuna blinked, tensing ever so slightly before relaxing and turning to the tall redhead now standing next to him. Even amidst the chaos and from this distance, the brunette could feel a mismatched pair of eyes all but drilling a hole in their direction. His Mist Guardian wouldn't let anything happen.

"Sometimes, it's better to just let them fight, Volpino-san," Tsuna replied lightly. "It's fine as long as they don't do anything too disastrous."

A sudden crash brought both their attentions back to the scuffle-turned-almost-all-out-war unfolding in front of them. A semi-large crater stared back at them, with Xanxus and Gokudera facing off on either side, one grinning maniacally, the other glaring death in return.

"...Like that."

With a long-suffering sigh, the brunette stepped forward to stop them, only to jerk backwards as something flashed in his peripheral sight. Five needles, gleaming in the weak sunlight, shot past him and thudded into a nearby telephone pole. Almost immediately, the wood began to dissolve, smoke snaking towards the sky.

All noise and chaos instantly died as heads snapped toward the source, weapons already drawn. For a long, eerily silent moment, the world stilled as the only movement visible was the snow swirling around them.

"Scatter."

The entire group turned to stare at the brunette standing calmly in their midst and pulling off the boots he had been wearing.

"Whoever it is, we can lose them faster by splitting up." Tsuna quickly explained, hawk-like eyes still scanning the area. "We'll go in groups. Meet back at the mansion as soon as possible."

Before anyone could reply, another handful of needles shot towards the group, quickly shot down by a glaring Xanxus and irate Gokudera. The smoke resulting from the explosions provided the best cover as they, wordlessly, separated, heading in all different directions.

Tsuna took a step before hesitating, glancing at the redhead still standing beside him. Could the amnesiac defend himself? Before he could offer any assistance, Mukuro had swooped in, smirk firmly in place as he all but shoved Volpino in the opposite direction.

"Do not worry, Tsunayoshi-kun," The illusionist assured. "I will make sure he returns to the mansion safely."

And without another word, the trident wielder disappeared into a side alley, ushering the redhead in forward while Ken, Chikusa, and Chrome flanked him.

Tsuna only had time to blink before a firm hand on his back propelled him forward.

"C'mon brat!" Xanxus snapped, red eyes narrowed from the smoke. "Stop daydreaming! Let's go!"

The teen gave himself a quick shake and hurried off, Xanxus beside him, and Gokudera and Yamamoto bring up the rear.

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna called back as they turned into a quieter street. "What about your dad?"

Quickly fending off several poison-tipped needles with his katana, the Rain Guardian ran forward to catch up to his boss.

"He'll be fine. He's with Ryohei-senpai and the girls."

Tsuna nodded, satisfied with the answer. Grimacing, he tried to ignore the uncomfortable icy water seeping through his socks as they turned another corner and headed into an alleyway.

"Jyuudaime, watch out!"

With a muttered curse, the brunette dodged, shifted to the side, and shot forward, one fist flashing out to slam into the masked man's face in front of him. Without blinking, he threw the man into two more, dropping them all like bowling pins.

"Cool, Tsuna!" Yamamoto shot him a quick grin as he batted away several oncoming enemies. "I didn't know you could do that!"

Tsuna grinned back while Gokudera scoffed, tossing a handful of dynamite into the air.

"That's a given, sword-freak! Jyuudaime's the next Vongola boss!"

A burst of angry sky flames interrupted their exchange as Xanxus shot down another wave of cloaked individuals.

"Would you two scum shut up?" He snapped irritably. "At least do your job and protect your Boss!"

Both bomber and swordsman visibly straightened, a scowl deepening Gokudera's features, but otherwise moved to flank the third teen again.

Tsuna sighed, but said nothing. In this situation, Xanxus was right. Arguing while trying to get away would only attract attention. He turned to take in the area, before nodding to himself.

"Xanxus-nii, Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto!" He called out, heading down a short flight of steps pushing open the old, battered-looking door at the bottom. "This way!"

Another series of bombs later and his three Family members joined him, the creak of the door echoing behind them as the brunette quickly eased it shut.

"Where are we?"

Yamamoto peered around the dark cellar-like room, squinting at the worn-down concrete walls and wrinkling his nose at the mouldy smell lingering in the shadows.

"One of the underground escape routes I found."

"You found it, Jyuudaime?"

Tsuna scratched his head, a lopsided smile on his face. "Sometimes, when I was younger, I came into the city to... relax for a bit. Sometimes, I was chased so I made sure I knew places I could hide in."

Gokudera and Yamamoto accepted this with understanding nods, but the brunette could practically feel Xanxus drilling holes into the side of his head, and he carefully made sure not to look in the Varia leader's direction. Quickly, he walked further into the room, shifting several stacked crates aside to reveal another doorway that extended to a narrow passageway.

As the four of them ducked into the corridor, Xanxus fell in step with Tsuna as Gokudera and Yamamoto positioned themselves in front and behind the brunette.

"To relax, huh?"

Tsuna stiffened, shoulders tensing minutely. He glanced up at the Varia boss, wincing at the heavy frown settled on his features.

"So this is how you managed to avoid all the scum the old man sent out to find you. Maybe we shouldn't have fired them. Then again, it was easy enough to replace them."

The teen heaved a sigh. "You didn't have to fire them. I came back eventually, didn't I?"

Xanxus' scowl only deepened. "Only after you collapsed from hunger a week later and your tutor found you."

Tsuna gave a sheepish shrug. "I stopped running away after a while."

"Half a year" was the grumbled reply.

The brunette managed a half-smile before Gokudera interrupted their quiet exchange.

"Do we go up here, Jyuudaime?"

Tsuna peered up the darkened stairway before nodding. "Yeah. It takes about ten minutes to return to the mansion once we get above ground."

The group of four quickly climbed the stairs, ducking under cobwebs and stifling sneezes as their footsteps stirred up dust.

"That way," Tsuna nodded down another side road as they appeared above ground, blinking at the sunlight, made brighter as it reflected off the snow around them. "It'll take us directly back to the mansion."

Setting off in the indicated direction with weapons still warily raised, none of them had any way of knowing, though they had their suspicions, that the enemies they encountered that day were sent by the Vendice, their outing foretold to them by the redhead in their midst.

**STREETS OF FLORENCE, ITALY / BACK ALLEY / PRESENT TIME**

"The Vendice truly do not know where to draw the line, do they?"

Mismatched eyes bore into amused emerald ones, each a challenge to the other. Mukuro kept his patented smirk firmly in place even as he mentally fended off the other's invisible mist flames. He had long ordered his cousin to go on without him, Ken and Chikusa with her.

Volpino's mouth slowly tilted up into a lazy smile, one that matched the glint in his eyes. "So you've seen through me then? I suppose I should expect nothing less from one of Vendicare's most troublesome criminals."

The teen knew this was meant to sting and simply let his smirk widen. "I'm offended. I would've thought I am the most troublesome of them all."

The redhead raised an eyebrow. "Indeed. Hiding behind the Vongola was a well thought-out move."

Mukuro's eyes narrowed imperceptibly at the mocking tone. This was getting nowhere. "I could say the same for you," He shot back, voice suddenly cold. "Do you really think I would let the Vendice do as they please? Vongola Decimo is mine to do with as I please, not yours."

Volpino laughed, quiet but with a honey-like quality that made Mukuro want to strangle the redhead. "Possessive, aren't you?" He waved a dismissive hand. "And here I was, considering a bargain to benefit both of us."

The illusionist stiffened even as his lips twisted into a frigid sneer. "I would never deal with the likes of you."

Volpino's smile widened. "No? Not even for your cute little cousin?"

Mukuro's jaw immediately locked, right hand tightening around his trident.

Catching the miniscule movement, Volpino shook his head pityingly. "Really. You are nowhere near as ruthless as you try to make yourself out to be, Mukuro-kun. What a shame."

The Vongola Mist Guardian shifted, demeanor turning threatening. "Harm Chrome and you will see exactly how ruthless I can be."

A tilt of his head sent red bangs skittering over handsome features. "Is this girl really so important?"

Mukuro replied without a hitch, voice smooth. "Tsunayoshi-kun is quite attached to her. As long as I have Chrome, possessing the next Vongola head will be simple."

Smile still fixed on his features, Volpino's eyes slid shut as he nodded. "I see, I see. Brilliant plan, Mukuro-kun, but only if she doesn't... change sides first."

The bluenette's gaze sharpened even as the redhead quickly raised his hands in a calming gesture.

"Now, now, settle down."

As Volpino's eyes opened again, it took everything Mukuro had to shield his mind from the mental onslaught of mist flames that suddenly seemed ten times stronger. The redhead's green eyes had deepened, darkening to a lightless forest green, and his mouth slowly parted into a bloodthirsty grin, losing all of the previous playful innocence.

"Did you know, Mukuro-kun," The redhead started conversationally, hands slipping casually into his coat pockets. "The Vendice has had an eye on your little cousin for a while now. She could become a powerful illusionist one day, as I'm sure you've noticed."

The man took a few steps closer and Mukuro's lips thinned, knuckles turning white around his trident, but refusing to buckle under the strain of the other illusionist's attack.

"She wouldn't have died even without your interference," The redhead continued. "After all, the Vendice would never let a potential asset go. We would have kept her alive."

Mukuro had unconsciously stopped breathing, attention focused solely on the man in front of him.

"My flames, you know, have a wide variety of abilities. What I'm doing to Vongola-san's Family, for example. Controlling a person by infecting their organs is another."

The grin widened as Mukuro's fair features paled even further.

"Have you never wondered who caused Chrome-chan's little accident? And who headed her operation afterwards? Lustra's much too bloodthirsty to heal anyone with so much as a paper cut, so I'm the doctor of our group. I still have her organs, you know."

The sound of metal crashing into stone resounded in the alleyway as Mukuro shot forward, trident missing the redhead by an inch and slamming into the stone wall behind him. He whirled, trident lashing out again, only to be stopped by a large scythe suddenly materializing into Volpino's hands. With one brutal swing, the bluenette's trident was knocked from his hands, skidding across snow and coming to a stop out of his reach.

"So how about it, Mukuro-kun? Wanna hear my proposition?"

Mukuro only glared, the numbers in his red eye switching indecisively. He said nothing.

Volpino nodded satisfactorily, scythe disappearing in a blur of mist flames.

"Work with the Vendice, Mukuro-kun. We want the Vongola under our control. Give us Vongola Decimo. You don't have to do much. His other Guardians are already under my influence. All he has is you. Stop protecting him. Step back and let us do the rest. That's all. In exchange, after all this is over, I'll release all control over your dear cousin. If you agree to work under us even then, we'll even let you have Vongola-san. A fair trade, don't you think?"

Mukuro didn't answer, cold, cutting rage carving his features.

Volpino spread his hands, emerald gaze triumphant.

"Do we have a deal, Mukuro-kun?"

And the only witnesses to Mukuro's curt acquiescing nod were the madly grinning Vendice Mist Guardian and a dirty back alley.

**Done!**

**Sorry for the really late update. School's been hectic but I'll try to put up another chapter as soon as possible.**

**Hope you enjoyed it and please review!**


	7. First Signs of Trouble

**Disclaimer: I do not own any KHR characters…**

**Here's the next chapter; there's a little more action in this one than the ones before. Sorry for the really, really, long wait but this chapter was one of the hardest to write for me.**

**I've decided to stop the pasts of different individuals in this fic for a couple of chapters and focus on the present.**

**I will expand on Chrome, Mukuro, Ken, and Chikusa's pasts but probably not the other Guardians' in this fic.**

**Thanks for the reviews and patience everyone put into this fic (much appreciated!) and I hope you enjoy this next one!**

* * *

_**Recap Start**_

"_**That way," Tsuna nodded down another side road as they appeared above ground, blinking at the sunlight, made brighter as it reflected off the snow around them. "It'll take us directly back to the mansion."**_

_**Setting off in the indicated direction with weapons still warily raised, none of them had any way of knowing, though they had their suspicions, that the enemies they encountered that day were sent by the Vendice, their outing foretold to them by the redhead in their midst.**_

…_**Skip…**_

_**Volpino spread his hands, emerald gaze triumphant.**_

"_**Do we have a deal, Mukuro-kun?"**_

_**And the only witnesses to Mukuro's curt acquiescing nod were the madly grinning Vendice Mist Guardian and a dirty back alley.**_

_**Recap Finish**_

* * *

**Chapter 7 – First Signs of Trouble**

**VENDICARE PRISON / ALESSIO'S OFFICE / PRESENT TIME**

"We have a problem."

"Don't we already?"

Rui scowled sourly at Alessio from the couch he was lounging on. The Italian, after checking the door was indeed locked, crossed the room to his desk in five long strides, features grim. Luckily for both of them, Crollo still seemed to trust his Cloud Guardian and he, in addition to Tifone and Acuzio, had been called for a private meeting.

Rui, who was pretty much the outcast of the group by now (he hadn't missed the shadowy figures tailing almost every one of his movements within the prison), felt dread curl at the pit of his stomach at the rare show of anxiety on his best friend's face. Judging by just that, whatever 'problem' had surfaced was worse than everything they had faced up until. It was hard to imagine.

Taking a seat, Alessio continued.

"Volpino just reported back to Boss. It seems that, with the exception of Decimo's Mist Guardians, the male one in particular, all of the others have fallen under Volpino's influence."

The Lightning Guardian stilled, eyes glued on Alessio with growing dismay. "I'm guessing that's not the worst of it."

"It isn't," Alessio confirmed curtly. "The Bloody Fox(1) has Rokudo under his control."

Rui let his head fall back, thumping it hard against the armrest and squinted at the ceiling. Nothing changed.

"This cannot be happening." He muttered. "It's been less than three weeks since Volpino was sent out and everything's already been shot to hell."

Alessio let a humorless smile flicker across his features. "Boss moves fast when he wants to."

Both fell silent, the Cloud Guardian waiting for the other room's occupant to pass his verdict.

"Let's contact Tsunayoshi," Rui finally decided, rising to his feet and running a hand through unruly brown hair. "We'll see where to go from there. I need to know there's still some hope in this crazy plan of ours."

Alessio complied with a nod, shoulders relaxing an inch as they finally had a purpose in front of them.

**VARIA MANSION / TSUNA'S OFFICE / PRESENT TIME**

Tsuna stared absently at the notes in front of him, mind going all the things he had learned over the past few days. He had torn through the Varia library at an alarmingly fast pace, going through every related book and even some unrelated ones to the Vendice.

The things he had found were disturbing to say the least.

And now, picking up a slip of paper thrumming with tightly-knit Cloud flames, he had a meeting with Rui and Alessio to worry about.

Ever since they had come back from their outing in Florence, things had changed. Not very noticeably, of course. Just, minor changes.

Gokudera spending more time following Volpino around than concentrating on his duties as right-hand man.

Yamamoto goofing off instead of spending his usual five hours a day training like he should.

And other things. Mukuro becoming much more distant, returning his greetings with guarded smirks.

A knock at the door made him look up. Speak of the devil.

"Come in," He called out, shuffling the message he had just received under everything else. "Mukuro-san, is something wrong?"

The long-haired bluenette came to a stop in front of him, trident gleaming in the soft glow of the office lights. Mismatched eyes stared back at him, closed off but for the slight apprehension flickering at the edges.

"…Do you trust me, Tsunayoshi-kun?" The illusionist asked abruptly.

Tsuna blinked in surprise at the completely out-of-character question.

"Of course," The brunette answered without hesitation, caramel eyes peering earnestly at his Mist Guardian. "You're my friend, and my Guardian."

If possible, Mukuro's expression shuttered even more.

"You shouldn't be so naïve all the time, Tsunayoshi-kun," He continued, quieter now, after a long staring contest, eyes flickering briefly to the door. "It could get you killed."

Tsuna broke into a warm, easy smile. "But I'll have you and everyone else to watch my back, won't I?"

Subdued frustration stained the bluenette's handsome features for a split second before smoothing over. He opened his mouth to say something, only to close it again when no words came out.

Tsuna frowned worriedly, rising from his seat to lean closer to the mismatch-eyed teen. "I'll always trust you, Mukuro-san," The brunette said carefully. "Nothing will ever change that."

Mukuro's eyes widened, staring at the shorter teen with puzzled shock, before releasing an almost imperceptible sigh, now visibly frowning at the concerned expression on the other's face.

"…I see," The illusionist murmured, almost to himself, after a long moment of contemplation. "Then I suppose I have no choice."

Tsuna blinked, confused. "'No choice'?" He repeated uncertainly. "Mukuro-san, are you in some sort of troub–"

"Nothing for you to worry about, Tsunayoshi-kun," The trident-wielder cut in smoothly, smirk back in place, this time a little more genuine than it had been for the past several days. "You just worry about all this paperwork you have to complete. I'm sure that Arcobaleno won't be very pleased if you don't finish it by the deadline."

Smirk widening at the horrified dismay taking over the young heir's features, the bluenette turned, sauntering to the door and excusing himself from the office.

"Well?"

Mukuro paused, glancing at the redhead stationed opposite the office door.

"You need not worry." He voiced easily. "Tsunayoshi-kun trusts me completely. Do as you wish."

The satisfied smirk on Volpino's face did not escape the trident-wielder's attention, even as he continued down the hallway.

**IL CANTINONE / FLORENCE, ITALY / THREE HOURS LATER / PRESENT TIME**

"Buon pomeriggio(2), Tsunayoshi."

The brunette tensed ever-so-slightly, peering out from under his wide-brimmed hat, before relaxing as he caught sight of familiar green eyes glinting down at him. Standing up, he sent a warm smile at the two Vendice Guardians.

"Buon pomeriggio, Rui, Alessio."

Rui returned his smile with one of his own while Alessio only gave him a cursory glance. Both quickly took a seat as a waiter swooped over to their table, armed with a black apron and a smile.

All three ordered simple appetizers and drinks, and the waiter, sensing their desire to be left alone, quickly bowed and glided away, smile still stretched generously on his face.

They were quiet as they waited for their drinks to arrive, Tsuna shifting a bit from the obvious tension in the air; Rui, having been alive too long to feel any real discomfort in awkward situations, couldn't quite suppress his uneasiness at the whole circumstance; and Alessio, who was the only one of them that seemed completely indifferent, if a little bored, as he surveyed their surroundings with little interest, mismatched eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses.

"So,"

The drinks had finally come and, after taking a small sip from the ice water in his hand (regrettably, Tsuna was still a minor, and, while he had consumed his fair share of alcohol at home, it did not change the fact that it was illegal to drink at his age, and as such, he had to try very hard to not be embarrassed as both Rui and Alessio drank red and white wine respectively across from him.), the brunette caved and broke the growing silence.

"I think we should probably clear up some things between us."

A flicker of relief flashed through Rui's eyes as both Vendice guards turned their attention on the brunette. Rui nodded in agreement, careful to keep his voice low.

"I agree. Let's start on Volpino."

Tsuna slowly frowned, features growing stern.

"Yes, about Volpino-san…" The teen trailed off before forging on again. "He _is _the Vendice Mist Guardian, right?"

Rui nodded warily. "He has sent word to our boss that almost all your Guardians have fallen under Volpino's influence. His Mist flames have the ability infect other people's flames and, to a degree, control their thoughts and actions in a way that won't draw particular attention from anyone. I think you've noticed this as well?"

Tsuna inclined his head, eyes a shade darker now. There went any last dwindling hopes he had that Volpino really did have amnesia.

"He was sent by your boss?"

The Vendice Lightning Guardian nodded again. "He wants a spy in Vongola's midst. You're the next head of Vongola, and Crollo believes you will eventually possess a real threat to him, if only because of your connections to the Arcobaleno."

Tsuna frowned. "Can anything be done then? About Volpino-san."

Alessio and Rui exchanged a doubtful glance before the Lightning Guardian shook his head.

"As far as we know, the only way your Guardians will return to normal is if Volpino releases them."

Tsuna sighed, staring gloomily into his glass and watching the liquid chase itself around as he absently swirled it.

"Alright then," He finally spoke, raising his gaze again. "It's my own fault for inviting him into my Family; I'll figure out a way to make him release my Guardians. For now, let's talk about the ambush I had to fend off just the other day."

Alessio's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as Rui sighed beside him.

"That ambush was ordered by the Vendice," The brunette stated flatly. "I didn't actually see anyone attacking us, but I remember Volpino-san's face. He wasn't surprised by the attack at all. Why didn't you warn me?"

A tense silence followed Tsuna's demanded question and this time, it was Alessio who broke it.

"There was no way to contact you and warn you beforehand without attracting unwanted attention to ourselves." Alessio's smooth tenor with a trace of an accent in the otherwise flawless Japanese hung in the air as Tsuna frowned in disapproval.

"So you couldn't warn me because you wanted protect your own asses." The brunette shot back, anger stirring in his gut. "I had civilians with me. And children. They don't know how to fight. They could've been harmed."

Alessio's eyes immediately hardened, pinning the Tenth with an icy glare. "Do you not think before you speak, _boy_?" The Cloud Guardian sneered. "If we are put under anymore suspicion than we already are, your contacts within the upper echelon of the Vendice will be gone. And perhaps you should have thought of those civilians and children before bringing them out into the city."

Anger flared in Tsuna's expression as Rui, sensing that the entire conversation was about to go downhill, hastily stepped in, working to soothe the suddenly irate brunette with an actual explanation.

"What Alessio means, Tsunayoshi-san, is that our Boss is very good at sensing when his followers start doubting him, especially those in his inner circle." Here, Rui shifted uncomfortably before forging on. "Our boss suspects me, that much is clear. I've seen some of Acuzio's men shadowing me for quite a few months now."

Tsuna sat in stony silence, absorbing the new information before sending a curt nod in Alessio's direction. "I apologize," The brunette spoke softly, observing the flicker of surprise in the Italian's blink. "I forgot that you are risking just as much as I am in this."

Alessio stared back for a long moment before glancing away.

"Perhaps not as much," The Italian allowed, voice barely above a murmur as he surveyed their surroundings once more with almost paranoid attention.

Tsuna stiffened in surprise before letting his features soften in to a smile. Turning back to a bemused-looking Rui, he asked, "So, Acuzio? He's the Vendice Storm Guardian and your boss' right-hand, right? I couldn't find much about him in the Varia library."

Rui shook his head. "You wouldn't have. Boss likes the fact that our Family is shrouded in mystery. There's not much information about any of us, and most of that's been lost over the years."

Here, he stopped, glancing uneasily around the restaurant again before turning to his fellow Guardian. Alessio met his gaze steadily before reaching into his coat and pulling out a thick sheaf of papers tied together with a piece of twine.

Tsuna focused on the old, yellowing pages before glancing up at the two Vendice Guardians again. "This is?"

Alessio's voice dropped, low and urgent as he slid the bundle across the table, while Rui straightened, shifting surreptitiously to hide the exchange.

"Information on the… situation. This is a copy of the real notes, which are under our boss' lock and key. Acuzio has a second copy, which is where I managed to get mine. It is too risky to make a third copy, so _guard this with your life_. If you lose it, or it falls into the wrong hands, I will hunt you down and destroy you."

Tsuna sweatdropped, but nodded, eyes serious as he reached out for the package.

Which was exactly when all hell decided to break loose.

Alessio was the first to notice, jerking sideways as five bullets whistled over his head, two finding targets in an elderly couple two tables away. Tsuna's breath caught as he watched the two civilians topple off their chairs and hit the ground with sickening thuds. Screams broke out around them as people dove for the ground or ran for cover, shoving past each other in their haste to get to safety as glass shattered around them and tables and chairs were shoved out of the way in the panicked stampede.

"_Maledizione_(3)!" Alessio snapped, twisting gracefully out of the way and tucking the papers back into his coat as two more bullets slammed into the ground behind him. Crimson eye gleaming, he slipped his own gun out, his sights already settling on three black-cloaked men near the entrance.

Five feet away, Rui was cussing up a storm at their misfortune. What were Acuzio's men doing here? He was sure he had lost them. Once word got back to the man, the second-in-command would definitely report it back to Crollo, and then…

A rare thrum of fear curled in his stomach at the thought before he pushed it aside in favor of the present. No use thinking about it now. What's done was done, and he would have plenty of time later to reflect on it.

As for now, he took in his best friend's bloodthirsty expression before looking around for the Decimo. Rui did a double-take as he spotted the brunette several feet away, supporting an elderly woman while ushering her towards the safety of the interior restaurant.

Rui stayed still for a moment in complete disbelief before scrambling out from the table he had ducked under and jogging forward to join the brunette, ignoring the glass crunching under his shoes.

"What are you doing?" The Lightning Guardian snapped. "You can't be so stupid as to not realize those are Vendice men! You have to run!"

Much to Rui's annoyance, Tsuna didn't so much as glance at him, only continuing to smile soothingly at the woman he was supporting, confident even amidst the rain of glass and bullets.

"It's alright, ma'am," The brunette assured. "You'll be fine."

Even as he spoke, Rui watched the Sky Guardian move a hand behind his back, Sky flames flaring from his palm to block several more bullets. With an exasperated huff, the Lightning Guardian moved, taking out his own gun and shooting down the snipers he had caught sight of earlier.

"Just stay in there, ma'am," Tsuna called out, as a waiter, the one who had served them, Tsuna noted absently, quickly came out and guided her inside. "It'll be over soon."

"Finished?"

The brunette spun around, dodging another stray bullet as his gaze settled on the Vendice Lightning Guardian. He frowned at the almost cold remark but said nothing. His attention had instead been caught by Alessio, currently shooting at five men rushing in from the entrance.

"Conny!"

Tsuna's heart thudded as he watched a little girl scramble between the face-off, baby-blue eyes glued on the limp beige-colored rabbit forgotten on the ground. Without hesitating, the brunette hurtled forward, lunging at the black-haired man and latching onto the Cloud Guardian's arm. He was immediately faced with a frigid snarl.

"What are you doing? Get off!"

Tsuna glared right back. "You can't shoot through a little girl!"

Alessio scoffed, features icy, mismatched eyes still gleaming with bloodlust. "She is just a civilian. Someone of no consequence. There will no–"

The Cloud Guardian cut himself off as the brunette all but hanging off his left arm seemed to change. Not physically, though Alessio noted dimly that the Vongola heir's brown eyes had sharpened to flame.

No, what had changed was the teen's demeanor, one that seemed to expand and become infinitely more commanding, cutting through the blood-red haze that always seemed to shroud his thoughts in a fight.

"'Someone of no consequence'?" Tsuna repeated in a low, chilling hiss. "There is no one in the world that is of no consequence. Everyone matters."

With that said, the brunette finally let go, leaving a stunned Italian stuck in place as he turned to the girl huddled on the ground, small arms curled tightly around the scruffy rabbit, tears leaking from terror-wide eyes.

"Va tutto bene(4)?" Tsuna smiled gently down at the frozen girl, quickly scooping her up and rushing her towards the woman hovering anxiously at the entrance of the interior restaurant.

Handing the girl back to her fretting mother, the brunette nodded politely in the face of the rapid-fire gratitude pouring from her lips before spinning around and throwing himself back into the thick of the battle.

Only to be caught around the middle by an irritated Lightning Guardian and being half-shoved, half-led towards the nearest alleyway.

"Rui-san!" Tsuna struggled, attempting to break out of the other's iron grip.

"Vongola!" Annoyance crept into the older Japanese's voice. "Do you think it would do anyone any good if we're seen out in the open for much longer? Especially you!"

Black and red appeared beside them in the next moment as Alessio joined them, tucking one gun away but keeping his other drawn.

"Get a grip, Sawada!" The Italian hissed, reaching out to give the brunette a rough shake. "If you stay at that restaurant, those guards will just keep shooting until the whole place is obliterated. Do not be so foolish! You are letting your emotions do the thinking again. Prove to me that you actually have a brain behind that naivety of yours!"

Tsuna glared up at the tall Italian before forcing his thoughts to calm. Alessio was right, of course. He definitely wasn't putting up much of an impression today.

"Alright," He took a deep breath before extending a hand. "The info? I'll get going now. I can slip back to the Varia estate without being seen."

Alessio narrowed his eyes, glowering down at him. "Are you certain about that, Sawada?"

Tsuna scowled back just as hard. "I'm sure. I was fine getting here."

Rui stepped between them, casting a wary glance back at the restaurant. "That's enough. Alessio, give the papers to Tsunayoshi. He has to leave, now."

The papers were handed to the brunette and Tsuna hastily tucked it into his jacket before taking a few steps more into the shadows of the alleyway.

"You'll be alright?" He glanced back anxiously as another round of gunfire sounded.

Alessio scoffed loudly as he slipped away, heading away from the restaurant. Rui smiled at him, the expression one of grim humor. "We'll be fine. Go, Tsunayoshi, and best of luck to you."

Tsuna lingered only long enough to watch Rui head off after his colleague, figure quickly lost amongst the crowd rapidly dispersing from the bistro. When more gunfire reached his ears, this time closer, the brunette quickly turned and melted into the alley, mind already calculating the fastest way back to the Varia mansion.

**VARIA MANSION / TSUNA'S OFFICE / PRESENT TIME**

"You went without me."

The wooden tone almost made Tsuna wince but he managed to hold back a grimace as he turned to face his tutor. "It was better that way."

Reborn hopped up onto his desk, onyx eyes glaring. "I told you I would accept this plan of yours. I am _not_ going to start shooting at them again. A Mafia boss never goes anywhere alone. That goes triple when it's you we're talking about."

Tsuna scowled indignantly. "I'm just the heir. Why triple for me?"

Reborn scoffed dismissively, tilting his fedora up. "You could run into assassins in a _daycare centre_. Now stop trying to redirect the conversation."

The brunette sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I know I should have brought you with me, but I figured it would be best if none of the Arcobaleno meet up with the Vendice, at least for a little while. Xanxus is in charge here whenever I'm away, and the others aren't going to be any help at the moment."

Irritation all but radiated off the baby hitman. "Tsuna, you cannot go at everything alone. Those who are affected by Volpino can't be helped, but trying to keep the Arcobaleno apart from the Vendice is just asking for trouble. We'll have to interact with them some time or another, and in case you've forgotten, we're all adults. We _can_ handle it."

"Yeah, you were doing a great job handling it last time," Tsuna muttered under his breath, but hurried on in a louder voice when Reborn sent him a dark look. "Fine, you can come next time. I mean, if there is a next time."

Eyes immediately narrowed in suspicion. "What does that mean?"

Tsuna cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, today's meeting was… less than satisfactory towards the end. I got new information,"

He tapped the file in front of him but Reborn only cast it a cursory glance before pinning him with a drilling stare again.

"But, well, Rui-san and Alessio-san were probably… under surveillance."

"Under surveillance?"

"Yes. And then, there might've been a bit of a… shootout."

"_Shootout?_"

Reborn was now glaring at him with all the fury of a lethal hitman. "You mean two Vendice Guardians, who have both lived for _centuries_, were careless enough to have been _followed_, and then got the _future Vongola boss_ caught up in a _gunfight_?"

This time, Tsuna couldn't quite hide the wince. "It sounds worse when you say it like that." He complained quietly.

"_How else can I say it, Dame-Tsuna?_"

The brunette dove to the floor behind his desk as a hail of bullets soared above him, scoring the shelf behind him with holes.

"Why are you shooting at _me_?" He argued from the floor. "I didn't start the gunfight!"

"Well," Reborn retorted conversationally. "Since you've decided I can't shoot at your new best friends, you're the only option left."

"Don't you want to know what information I got?" Tsuna quickly scrambled away as a bullet whizzed past his ear.

There was a pause as the safety clicked back into place and Tsuna breathed a sigh of relief, cautiously peering out from behind his desk. He scowled at the now smirking hitman, Leon back on his perch on Reborn's fedora and a fresh cup of coffee in the Arcobaleno's hands.

"How do you do that?" Tsuna demanded as he made himself comfortable in his chair again.

Reborn shrugged. "Trade secret."

"You're a hitman. Pulling coffee out of thin air isn't a 'trade secret'."

"It is when you've got a student who insists on making his tutor lose sleep."

Tsuna blinked as this statement came out sharper than said tutor had probably intended, and then heaved a sigh.

"I'm sorry," He offered quietly. "I just don't like putting my Family in unnecessary danger."

Reborn actually scoffed before taking a sip from his mug. "You're a hundred years too early to even think about worrying about me in a fight."

Tsuna shrugged as he reached for the file on his desk. Reborn was the best, but he was still human. He could still die, and as long as that was a possibility, Tsuna would never stop worrying. A resigned sigh from the hitman told him that his tutor knew that very well.

"So what've we got here then?"

The next few hours were spent pouring over the thick folder Tsuna had acquired, and between them, they managed to piece together a bigger picture of what they were up against.

"No," Tsuna voiced hoarsely once they had gone over the entire file. "No way. There must be another way."

Reborn was expressionless under his fedora. "The Storm, Rain, Lightning, Cloud, Mist, and Sun Arcobalenos can be returned to their original forms. That's pretty clear here. But it seems that the process would need the sacrifices of both Skies."

"No," Tsuna repeated adamantly. "I'm not sacrificing Aria-nee. There has to be another way."

The brunette forged on when it looked like Reborn would object. "Right now, we need to concentrate on taking down Crollo. You mentioned a device that turned you into an Arcobaleno. What do you know about it?"

Reborn was silent for a long moment, eyes shadowed as he stared distantly at the papers on the desk.

"Not much," The hitman finally stirred. "The process wasn't explained to us, only the reason we were there."

"Oh," Tsuna tried not to let the disappointment show. "Well then, I suppose we'll just have to do more research. There must be something in the Vongola archives that could help."

More silence met his suggestion, and Tsuna shifted uneasily in his chair. Reborn was getting moody again.

"I think," He announced carefully. "I should get someone to go find Aria-nee as well. We're supposed to be on friendly terms with them, even if the Giglio Nero Family's joined with the Millefiore."

Still no response. Okay then. Something a little more drastic should do the trick.

"I'm sending Dino-nii after her."

This got an instantaneous reaction as onyx eyes snapped to his face, already sharpening into something hawk-like.

"Dino is the boss of your closest Allied Family," Reborn objected sharply. "Not to mention he's one of the few here who still has a clear head on his shoulders. Sending him away from you is not a good idea."

Tsuna mentally gave himself a pat on the shoulder before pointing out, "That's exactly why I have to send him out. Someone needs to get to Aria-nee for this to work. I'd bet my entire salary that we would need all the Arcobaleno gathered for anything to happen. And I don't want Crollo, I don't know, kidnapping her and sticking her in some prison before we even get started. Dino-nii can be an idiot sometimes, but he's not a boss for nothing. He didn't get trained by_ you_ for nothing. He can take care of himself, while still being able to get Aria-nee back here as soon as possible."

"…What about Aria?" Reborn brought up after a moment, and Tsuna didn't miss the slight shuttering of the hitman's features. Aria had always been a sore spot for his tutor, and the brunette still didn't know why. "She's sided her Family with the Millefiore. Vongola is as against that Family as humanly possible. She won't come into Vongola territory just because you ask."

"Then we'll tell her it's Arcobaleno business," Tsuna replied calmly. "And we can meet her outside of the base if she doesn't want to come in here."

"I don't think you really understand just how serious a situation we have here, Tsuna," Reborn was frowning now. "As soon as they joined with Millefiore, the Giglio Nero became our enemy. Anything she can get from meeting with us could reach Byakuran. Or worse, Byakuran will think he's been betrayed and kill her and her entire Family. We are no longer friends. Dino could be shot down for entering their grounds."

Tsuna was silent for a few seconds. He hadn't quite thought of it like that. He had known Aria ever since he had joined the Vongola six years ago. The woman was the closest thing he had to a real older sister. There had always been a rift between her and Reborn, the distance widening even further when Tsuna had arrived and Reborn had started spending significantly more time with him than Aria. But the Sky Arcobaleno had never blamed him for it, had tried to hide how hurt she felt whenever Reborn would brush her off or ignore her in favor of Tsuna, and had always taken care of the brunette as best she could. To have to think of her now as an enemy was…

"That's not right," Tsuna voiced aloud. "Byakuran must have done something to her. Aria-nee would never join the Millefiore willingly."

Reborn made to object and Tsuna quickly sent a sharp glare in his direction. "She _wouldn't_. I know Aria-nee, and you would too if you didn't spend so much time ignoring her."

A tense silence dropped over them as Tsuna grimaced internally but stared back defiantly at his tutor. Every word he had said was true. Reborn had never shown Aria anything more than necessary toleration.

"…Fine," The hitman's features were tight with restrained frustration but Tsuna could see the grudging acknowledgment in his tutor's face. "Even if Byakuran did do something to Aria, and I'm not saying he did, but _if_ he did, it would be an even worse idea to bring her back here. Byakuran would be monitoring her 24/7."

"Well then what do you suggest?" Tsuna demanded, starting to get a little irritated himself. He hated not being able to count on people he considered family, and that count was getting higher every day.

"Let me worry about getting Aria," Reborn offered, stance easing slightly when he seemed to pick up on Tsuna's worsening mood. "You could try to find out more about the machine. Everything relates back to that. We find out what it does, we can find out ways to reverse the entire process, hopefully without any casualties on our side."

Tsuna mulled the tutor's words over for a while before asking casually, "And how would I go about doing that?"

Reborn smirked at him before jumping down from the desk and heading for the door. "I think we both know you're hiding an outside source from us. And if anyone knows anything about that device, it should be a scientist after all."

Tsuna huffed as his tutor left. He couldn't really bring himself to be surprised. Reborn wouldn't be Reborn if he didn't know where his own student snuck off to for hours at a time.

He picked up his phone and quickly sent a message to both Xanxus and Dino. He would have to fill them in about this new development.

**VARIA MANSION / XANXUS' OFFICE / PRESENT TIME / SEVERAL HOURS AFTER MEETING BETWEEN OUR BOSSES**

"Boss!"

Xanxus glared as his office door was slammed open, the lock breaking under the force of his Rain Guardian's kick.

"What the fuck do you want, trash?" He barked irritably, trying to ignore the swordsman as he scanned his paperwork. He didn't have anywhere near as much as a certain Family heir, but enough to give him migraines, especially when his idiot of a subordinate – who couldn't even resist an enemy's illusions – was bothering him.

"Kill me."

It actually took a few seconds for the words to sink in as Xanxus was more than adept at ignoring most of what his Guardians had to say when they weren't in battle.

When he did though, his head jerked up, glaring hard at Squalo as he snapped, "_What?_ What the fuck are you talking about?"

His Second didn't look good. Sweat beaded his forehead and his entire frame was tense as if fighting an invisible force. One hand slammed onto the top of his desk.

"You know what I'm talkin' about!" Squalo shot back through clenched teeth, eyes desperate. "I'm fightin' it as hard as I can, but I can barely think as it is! It's that red-haired rat that idiot Bronco brought in isn't it? He's what's makin' me-"

The swordsman cut himself off, spitting out curses in Italian as he stared determinedly at a spot over Xanxus' shoulder for a few seconds, pupils dilating as he fought for control.

"You need to kill me now," Squalo hissed as he blinked back into the present. "I can't control what I'm doin'! I managed to get control back for a few minutes but I can't- I can't hold onto it for long. You need to kill me, or lock me up, or dump my ass in Alaska! Whatever, but do _something_!"

Xanxus stared for one long, disbelieving moment, torn between pride and anger. He was sure Tsunayoshi had implied that no one was strong enough to break away from the Vendice Mist Guardian's control. Of course, hell would freeze over before he ever admitted that to his Rain Guardian. Anger won over.

"Shut up, you idiot," He growled. "We're working on it. You're not the only one affected by that scum."

The swordsman glared back just as hard, one foot kicking his desk as if that would somehow keep grounded.

"You don't know what it's like!" Squalo snarled, hands clenching. "That trash's voice in my head! It's like trying to swim through mud in your _dreams_! No full control over _anything_! I'm perfectly aware of what I'm doin' but I_ have no control over it_!"

"That's kind of the point!" Xanxus snapped back, rising from his chair. "That's what that scum's ability _does_!"

He was completely ignored as Squalo barreled on.

"And his voice!" The swordsman forged on insistently, the strain finally showing on his face. "Giving me orders I can't disobey! It's drivin' me fuckin' crazy!"

He whirled, hair whipping behind him as strode over to a metal cabinet and slammed a fist into it, denting the surface in the process but also seemingly settling the agitated Guardian just a little.

"And at the back of my head," Squalo turned back. "There's a- an automatic command. It's quieter- quieter than everything else, barely audible, but it's drillin' itself into my fuckin' brain!"

The swordsman stalked back to his desk, leaning forward with intent. "'Kill Sawada Tsunayoshi'. That's what the command is."

Xanxus started, eyes narrowing. He hadn't heard anything about this from Tsunayoshi, which meant that the brunette hadn't heard this from the Vendice scum he had been meeting.

"Xanxus!"

His gaze snapped back to his Second. It wasn't often Squalo called him by name.

"Hurry up! I can't hold him back for much longer!"

"No." He voiced, tone admirably calm for the situation. "You think I have the patience train another Second? And Tsunayoshi would kill me if I did anything."

Squalo swore violently, right hand jerking and sending pens and pencils to the ground, skittering across the carpet.

"Fuck, Boss! I am going to kill _him_ if you don't do something!"

Xanxus scoffed, finally sitting down again. "You aren't going to do anything." He glared when Squalo made to speak. "He's too fucking important to you for you to let fuckers like Aldarez force your hand in this, trash. Get a grip. You're just panicking because you can't do anything for yourself. But like I said, we're working on it. Now get out before I throw something at you for trashing my office."

Annoyance crept into his features when his Second slammed his hands down on his desk again.

"VOOII! DID YOU NOT HEAR A WORD I JUST SAID, FUCKING BOSS?"

Xanxus scowled, smirking internally. There was the Rain Guardian he had picked.

"Every word!" He barked back, grabbing a nearby calculator and hurling it at the other man. Squalo ducked instinctively, scowl now fiercer than ever. "Don't tell me you've become so weak that you'd obey scum like the Vendice! I kill trash that weak! _Do you understand_?"

Squalo opened his mouth before closing it again, pulse hammering furiously in his neck as his eyes widened in realization.

Xanxus snorted irritably. "I'll shoot you down myself if you lose to that bastard. I don't work with weaklings."

The swordsman stilled for a long moment before relaxing minutely, pupils dilating once more.

"Just don't let me anywhere near Tsunayoshi alone." The Guardian warned softly before a flash of indigo flared in his irises and his entire stance relaxed.

Xanxus watched as his Rain Guardian blinked in almost consternation as he looked around.

"Vooii! What the fuck happened in here?" Squalo snapped. "Why are you always throwing crap around?"

Xanxus shot a furious look at the long-haired Italian as he picked up a paperweight and hurled it at him.

"Get out," He ordered. "I can trash my office if I want to."

Squalo snorted, spinning on his heel and striding wordlessly from the room.

Xanxus watched him go, wondering just how much Aldarez had seen of their previous conversation. He glanced back down at his paperwork absently.

An automatic command to kill Tsunayoshi. He had no doubt that the same command ran in the other Guardians' mind. So what was stopping them from carrying it out? Was that scum holding back to plan for something else? Or was something stopping him…?

A smirk tilted his lips. Tsunayoshi was not dead yet, and while their Family had more differences between them than there were countries in the world, there was also one element that was common between all of them.

Loyalty to one Sawada Tsunayoshi. In every single Family member, there was a solid core of steel that instinctively told them all to protect when it came to the Vongola heir.

Interesting. Aldarez would probably miss that point; underestimate the bonds each Family member had to Tsunayoshi.

He could use that to his advantage; twist this knowledge against the Mist Guardian. He would have to think on it, and consult Tsunayoshi of course. The brunette was disgustingly more adept when it came to feelings and emotions.

But it was a start. They finally had something, no matter small, that they could use against their infiltrator.

And that was better than nothing.

**VARIA GROUNDS / PRESENT TIME / EVENING**

"My hands are tied in this case. I will only be able to strike when he least expects it."

"That's fine. Make sure he thinks you can do nothing in this situation. He will let his guard down in the end."

"Kufufu. A little more cunning than I am accustomed to when it comes to you."

"Yeah, well, he may be a mole, but he's a mole in enemy territory, completely alone. I figure it's best to remind him not to overstay his welcome. Eventually. Understand?"

"Understood. I'll make sure this works."

**INTERROGATION CHAMBER / VENDICARE PRISON / PRESENT TIME**

"You really should know better than to go out and play without my permission, dear Rui."

A hacking cough answered the silky voice and green eyes glared defiantly at the smirking child in front of him. He hung limply from the wall, and had long stopped struggling to get free.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about," He croaked out hoarsely. "I thought it would be best for everyone if we could get that Vongola brat to come in quietly. He may be only an heir, but he's Vongola's heir. His death will cause waves. I was thinking of the Family-"

He was cut off as another violent jolt of lightning coursed through his body, courtesy of the remote in his Boss' hand. His body convulsed, and he bit down stubbornly, refusing to let a single gasp escape his lips.

"Still lying to my face, Rui? Haven't we gotten past all that?"

Rui swallowed, once, twice, trying to find his breath as he grimaced at the copper taste in his mouth.

"I was thinking of the Family," He repeated truthfully, staring evenly at his Boss. "I have always thought of the Family first. I have always wanted only the best for our Family. I have always wanted our Family to be the best it can be."

And then he could say no more as electricity threaded through his muscles, cracking bones and shredding ligaments.

He could not tell how long it was until darkness took over his thoughts, only that it was a relief and a mercy.

Immortality could be a real bitch.

* * *

**(1) – Volpino's name in the Mafia world**

**(2) – Good afternoon (in Italian)**

**(3) – Damn (in Italian)**

**(4) – Are you alright? (in Italian)**

**Okay, so this chapter is done! Unbelievably short, and just ridiculously hard to write. I've been stuck on this chapter for a long time and have written and rewritten this thing at least a dozen times.**

**Hope it's actually acceptable and please, please, please review!**


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